Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
by ArabellaBlack25
Summary: Go through Harry's first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with his friends Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and Arabella Black as they try to figure out the mystery of the Philosopher's Stone. Starting from the first book with OC in it.
1. Prologue Part I

Prologue

February 25th 1980

At the end of Godric's Hollow live Sirius and Kassandra, who were excited for their little get together tonight just for all their friends. Sirius was a handsome young man that had black hair and grey eyes. He had a casual elegance that made girls swoon over him during his time at Hogwarts. Kassandra was a beautiful Greek woman that had tan skin with brown hair and brown eyes. She was also 9 months pregnant and ready to pop at any second.

Peter owled they earlier in the day to say that his mother was sick and he had to go to make sure that she was okay. The rest of their friends said that they would be able to make it. At 8 o'clock, James and Lily flooed into their living room.

'Prongs!'

Padfoot!'

Sirius and James hugged each other with pats on their backs.

'Hey Kas' said James coming to hug Kassandra, but finding it very difficult with the 9 month belly blocking their way. 'Good to see you again'

'Good to see you too James,' said Kassandra, giving him a smile while making her way to Lily.

'Kas! So when's the due date?' said Lily, with her 4 month belly, also finding it difficult to hug her best friend.

'Should be any day now, the healers said that it should be a couple days now. I just want to not be pregnant. Sirius wouldn't let me do anything without his help and if I do he gets mad at me!'

'I don't want anything to happen to you or the baby, I want the both of you to be safe. Is that such a crime?' replied Sirius, pretending to be offended.

'Anyways, where's Moony and Wormtail? Are they here yet?' said James

'Moony's not here yet. Should be anytime soon. Wormtail said that his mother wasn't feeling well so he's going to see if she's ok,' said Sirius.

Then their fireplace turned green and another guest walked into their living room.

'Hey everyone,' walked in Remus, with a smile and looking tired from the previous full moon.

'Hey Moony. Everything ok?' said James after hugging on of his close friends.

'Things are ok. Doing some work for the Order and trying to find a paying job. Same old,' said Remus while hugging Sirius and Lily.

'Hey Remus,' said Kassandra with a big smile on her face after seeing one of her best friends.

'Hey Kas,' replied Remus hugging Kassandra. 'Found out the gender yet?'

'You keep asking me Remus and the answer is still no. I want it to be a surprise. Sirius won't stop trying to guess what the gender is. It's becoming really annoying,' said Kassandra.

'Don't worry about that. Padfoot is always annoying,' said Remus, teasing his best friend.

'Hey! I resent that!' exclaimed Sirius.

'Anyways let's go into the dining room. We made some chicken and some – AHH! Sirius! I think my water just broke!'

'WHAT?!' exclaimed Sirius.

'Ok Kas, just breath, we'll get you to St. Mungo's soon. Just breath,' said Lily trying to reassure one of her dearest friends while she was trying to breathe properly. 'Sirius, pull it together. Now!'

'Yeah… um… St. Mungo's… baby… ok… yeah,' replied Sirius in a low voice while staring at his wife, who couldn't believe that it's happening now.

James and Remus weren't helping either as they both were staring at Kassandra, as if the idea of her giving birth hadn't crossed their minds until this moment.

'AHH! I think that was a contraction. Sirius we have to go now! The baby is coming!' said Kassandra, in pain.

Sirius continued to say things in a low voice, can't believe that his wife is going into labour. James and Remus were still staring at Kassandra.

_Men_ thought Lily. 'Sirius take her to St. Mungo's me, James and Remus are going to get some of her clothes and we'll meet you there. Ok?'

'Yeah… sure… let's go Kas,' said Sirius.

Sirius grabbed onto Kassandra's arm trying to help her stand up and lead her to the fireplace.

'Um… yeah… well… I'll see you guys there,' said Sirius, flooing him and Kassandra to St. Mungo's.

'Ok. James, Remus clean up the kitchen and put the food away. I'll go upstairs and get some of her clothes. Ok?' asked Lily.

'Yeah… ok,' replied Remus. James still staring at the place where Kassandra was.

'James! Get a move on it! Our best friend is going in labour! She needs our help!' snapped Lily.

This got James moving with the help of Remus. Within twenty minutes they managed to put away all the food the Blacks set up on the table while Lily got some of Kassandra's clothes and wrote a letter to Andromeda, telling her about the baby. They flooed to St. Mungo's.

'Mr. and Mrs. Black? They are having a baby?' Lily asked the receptionist.

'Ground floor. The end of the corridor,' replied the receptionist in a bored voice while looking through Witch Weekly.

'Thanks. Let's go guys.'

As they we walking through the corridor they heard a scream from one of the rooms at the end.

'I SWEAR TO MERLIN SIRIUS! IF YOU TOUCH ME AGAIN I WILL I CHOP YOUR BALLS OFF! AHHH!'

Lily, James and Remus stopped and turned to each other. They all know that Kassandra is not someone you would cross. James once turned her hair green when she was sleeping in the common room and the next day there wasn't a single hair on his body. She didn't put back his hair for one week until he begged and promised that it would never happen again.

They decided that it was best if they all stay out and that she didn't know that they were there yet.

About twenty minutes later they heard a baby cry. They all sighed in relief that both Kassandra and Sirius' balls were safe.

A couple of minutes later Sirius came out of the door with the biggest smile on his face and found his friends.

'A girl! We have a girl! She's gorgeous! She looks exactly like Kas.'

'Can we see her now or does she need time to rest?' asked Remus.

'Yeah come in and see her. She's waiting for you guys.'

They all entered the room and saw a beaming and tired Kassandra with sweat all over face, cradling her baby.

She looked up and saw all her friends looking at her.

'Hey guys. Come meet her.'

Lily was the first one to reach her.

'She looks beautiful. Can I hold her?' asked Lily.

'Of course. Be careful.'

Kassandra showed Lily how to hold her properly, making sure that the head was being held safely. James and Remus gathered around Lily, looking at the baby.

'She looks beautiful. What's her name?' asked Remus.

'Arabella. Arabella Kassandra Black,' replied Sirius while looking at his daughter with a proud smile on his face.

'She looks like you Kas. Good thing. Imaging a baby that looks like Padfoot,' teased James.

'Hey! I am very handsome!' exclaimed Sirius.

'We know you are honey' replied Kassandra in an amused voice while patting Sirius's arm.

'Can I hold her?' asked Remus. Lily passed Arabella to Remus.

'Hey Moony. We were wondering if you would be her godfather,' asked Sirius.

Remus looked up from Arabella's face.

'Me? You want me to be her godfather?' asked Remus, disbelief in his voice.

'Yeah, and Lily, you'll be the godmother?' asked Kassandra.

'I'll be honoured,' said Lily with tears in her eyes.

'Good then it's settled. Remus and Lily will be the godparents,' said Sirius, still looking at his daughter.

'Hey, can I hold her too? I am her honorary uncle after all,' exclaimed James, waiting for his chance to hold his best friend's daughter.

Remus rolled his eyes but passed her along to James. Soon after Arabella opened her eyes.

'Hey look! She had your eyes Pads!' staring at Arabella's striking grey eyes.

Sirius and Kassandra smiled at each other. Sirius looked proud at his wife, going through labour and giving him Arabella, who he instantly fell in love with.

Lily and Remus looked over James' shoulders and saw Arabella's eyes.

'Aww! She looks so cute!' exclaimed Lily.

Remus looked at Sirius and Kassandra with a smile on his face.

'Congratulations you guys. She'll be a great wizard one day.'

'Thanks Remus,' said Kassandra, looking tired but still had a smile on her face.

She turned back to Sirius.

'Why don't you owl Andy and ask her to come? I'm sure she'll want to see the baby.'

'I already wrote to her, she should be here anytime soon,' said Lily, still looking at Arabella.

By the time James gave her back to Kassandra, Andromeda came through the door with Ted and Nymphadora behind her.

'Kassandra! Oh, how are you? Where's the baby? Let me see her,' exclaimed Andromeda with a happy giddy look on her face.

Kassandra passed Arabella over to Andromeda.

'She looks beautiful! What's her name?'

'Arabella Kassandra Black'

'Congratulations Sirius and Kassandra,' said Ted, shaking hands with Sirius and giving Kassandra a kiss on her cheeks.

Nymphadora, who was seven, was staring at Arabella with a frown on her face.

'I can't play with her! She's too small!'

All the adults in the room laughed at that statement.

'Don't worry Dora, she won't be small forever. You'll be able to play with her in a couple of years,' replied Ted with an amused smile on his face.

Nymphadora nodded and started to make funny face at the baby, trying to make her laugh. Arabella started to giggle and all the adults were staring at the grey-eyed beauty.

Sirius turned to his wife.

'Why don't you sleep for a while?'

'Not yet, I'll wait for everyone to leave before I take a nap.'

After a while the Tonks left, promising to visit them soon. Later, James and Lily too left, saying that they'll come see them tomorrow with loads of gift for Arabella. Soon it was just Sirius, Kassandra, Remus and Arabella.

Remus looked at Sirius and Kassandra.

'Are you sure you guys want me to be her godfather?' asked Remus.

'Remus, we want you to be her godfather. We discussed this before. We trust you with her,' said Kassandra.

Remus looked back to Arabella. Arabella, with her small turf of dark brown hair and grey eyes. He looked back at his friends with a smile on his friends.

'You guys did it. You made a baby. And a beautiful one at that! I was worried about that since it was going to be half Sirius,' said Remus, teasing his best friend.

'Hey! I am very handsome! Hence, my daughter is very beautiful,' replied Sirius, in a mick-offended voice.

'Sirius, we all know that you are handsome, but she gets it from me,' said Kassandra, who loved to tease her husband.

Sirius pouted while Remus and Kassandra laughed at him.

Later Remus handed Arabella back to Kassandra and said that he'll visit them tomorrow and will owl Peter about this.

Soon it was just that Blacks as they sat in silence, while Kassandra started to feed Arabella.

'She's amazing isn't she?' asked Sirius.

'Yeah she is,' said Kassandra.

'Why don't you sleep now? We'll still be here once you wake up,' asked Sirius, once he got Arabella in his arms.

He looked back at his wife and saw her asleep. He got a chair and moved it towards Kassandra. He looked back at Arabella who was staring at her father with her grey eyes.

'Hey baby. I'm your daddy. You know before your mom I didn't have much of a family. My parents weren't the best and my brother was no better. Then I met your uncles and aunts and your mother. Your uncles James, Remus and Peter will always be there. They'll turn you into a prankster like the rest of us. You also have your aunt Lily and her new baby that's coming soon. You also have Andy, Ted and Dora. You also have your mommy. She's the best. She'll teach you everything you need to know. She's very smart, caring and beautiful. I hope you turn out like her. She's the only one that keeps me in line and I love her for that. Then you have me, your old man. I'll never leave you. I'll be there when you start walking and talking. I'll buy you your first broomstick and see you off to Hogwarts. I'll also be there when you bring home boys that aren't good for you and scare then away. I love you Arabella.'

He kissed his daughter's head and started to hum quietly to her.

* * *

**The next chapter will show some of Arabella's history and the chapter after that will start from The Philosopher's Stone from Harry's POV. The story will stay true to itself but with changes made to it. Please review! **


	2. Prologue Part II

**Hello! This is the Part II of the first chapter. This will tell the history of Kassandra, Arabella and the Marauders. The next chapters will be in the same format as the first book. Most of the story will be true to the original story with some changes from me. **

**Anyway, enjoy this chapter, though it's really sad and depressing. Please review and tell me what you think about it :)**

**disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. I only own Kassandra and Arabella. **

Prologue Part 2

August 11th, 1983

Ever since the unfortunate incident that happened on Halloween, Kassandra's life has not been the same. Her best friends are dead and her godson is living who knows where. Her husband is in prison for betraying them and killing 12 Muggles and their friend Peter Pettigrew.

Kassandra was thinking back on her life as she was doing the dishes. She remembers the first time she met Lily on the train and instantly became best friends with her. She also remembers Snape, Lily's other friend at that time and how she tried to be kind to him, but found that difficult as that boy wasn't very nice. She remembers meeting Remus and instantly found an older brother in him. She remembers meeting James, who would always bring a smile on her face with his many pranks. She remembers Peter, who would blush whenever she tried to talk to him.

She remembers Sirius and how they didn't get along with each other when they met. She remembers the times they would pranked each other and the insults they said to each other. She remember fifth year when the pranks and insults stopped and they started to be civil with each other. She remembers the times when they joked and started pranking other people together for a while. She remembers the first time he asked her out in his casual elegant way, trying not to make a big deal out of it, while inside he was hoping that she would say yes. She remembers him trying to make that date memorable, but in the end turned out to be a disaster as everything went wrong. The weather was wrong, Three Broomsticks was packed, the Marauders kept showing up and interrupting them. She remembers the look of surprise on his face when she kissed him at the end of the date.

She remembers when after Hogwarts he proposed to her in front of all their friends and the look of joy on his face when she said yes. She remembers the happiness on their faces and their guests when the celebrated their wedding. She remembers the time when she told him that she was pregnant and how he reassured her that she was going to be an amazing mother and how that baby was also going to be amazing. She remembers the look on his face when he saw his daughter, how happy he looked at her. She remembers the time when Arabella started to crawl and later then walk. She remembers the day when Arabella said her first word, 'Padfoo', and how he had tears in his eyes. He tried to say that they were allergies, but they both knew the truth.

She remembers the day when he came and said that James and Lily were dead and that Harry was going to his uncle and aunt's. She remembers the feeling in her stomach when he said that he was going after Peter and that he'll return soon. She wanted to grab on to him and tell him to stay and never leave her. But she knew that they was no stopping him at this point and that he was going after Peter no matter what she'd say. She held onto Arabella until he came through that door and say that everything was ok. He didn't.

She remembers Aurors knocking on her door, telling her that Sirius was in prison for killing Peter Pettigrew and 12 Muggles. She remembers them telling her that Sirius betrayed James and Lily, their best friends. She remembers breaking down in front of then telling them that they had the wrong man that he would never betray them and kill Peter. She remembers Remus coming over the next day trying to get her to calm down and Andy coming over to cheer her up.

It's been two years and she still remembers this all very clearly with tears in her eyes.

As she was remembering her past, a girl with dark brown hair and grey eyes came into the kitchen.

'Mommy? Why are you crying?' asked Arabella with concern for her mother in her eyes.

'It's nothing baby. Just remembering something. Don't worry about it,' said Kassandra, wiping the tears away from her eyes. 'Why don't you get ready? Uncle Moony wants to take you to the carnival today while I go to work.'

'Really?!' exclaimed Arabella in a cheerful voice, as she ran to her room to get ready to spend the day with her favourite person in the world, besides her mother.

Kassandra watched her daughter fondly as she went to go get ready. She was happy that her daughter was caring and happy with life and that the situation with her father hasn't upset her.

'Hello? Anyone here?' said a voice from the living room.

In came Remus, one of her closet friends. When she saw him she smiled and hugged him. She was grateful that he was still in her life after the incident. He would always come over to help her out and look after Arabella if she had work to do. She became a father-figure to Arabella and she was grateful for that.

'Hey Remus. How's everything?' asked Kassandra.

'Everything's fine. Where's Ara? Is she ready yet?' asked Remus.

'I'M READY!' exclaimed Arabella as she re-entered the kitchen and saw Remus. 'UNCLE MOONY!'

She ran and hugged the life out of him.

'Hey Ara. Are you ready for our day at the carnival?' said Remus, looking at Arabella with a father like fondness in his eyes.

'Yes! Yes! Yes! Are we going now?' shouted Arabella, jumping up and down, excited to spend the day with her Uncle Moony.

'Bit impatient are we?' said Remus, smiling at his goddaughter with an amused smile.

'Yes! Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!' said Arabella, pulling on the sleeve of Remus towards the door, ready to go. 'Bye Mommy!'

'See you later Kas. I'll bring her home in a couple of hours,' said Remus, following his goddaughter.

'Bye Arabella. Bye Remus. Have fun!' said Kassandra, as she saw her daughter and friend leave for the carnival.

Kassandra got ready and left for work. Alastor Moody needed her for a case today as he suspected that a couple of Death Eaters were still out there hiding. Kassandra chuckled to herself, thinking about how paranoid Mad-Eye is.

* * *

Couple Hours Later

Kassandra came back home from work and went straight to the couch. Mad-Eye worked her to the bone, trying to find any trace of evidence that there was any Death Eaters still out there. She was tired, looking for people that hid their tracks very well was tiring, working with Mad-Eye Moody was worse.

There was a pop outside her house, signaling that there was someone outside. Remus and Arabella came through the door. One of them tired and the other one jumpy from all the candy they ate. It was a no-brainer which was which to Kassandra.

'Mommy! Guess what? Uncle Moony won me a stuffed animal! Look!' shouted Arabella, showing her a black stuffed animal that's in the shape of a dog. 'And we went on all the rides and ate all the candy! We had such a great time! You should have come with us! It was amazing!'

'That's great honey. Why don't you go ready changed and ready for bed?' said Kassandra, smiling at her daughter in a tired voice.

'Bye Uncle Moony,' Arabella said while hugging her godfather. Walking away to get ready for bed.

'How was she?' asked Kassandra after her daughter left the room.

'She was fine. Really hyper. She wanted to go everywhere and try every food,' replied Remus smiling at the day he had with Arabella. 'How was work?'

'Horrible. Mad-Eye's becoming more paranoid every day. 2 years after the end of the war and he still thinks that there are Death Eaters out there. He's making me track down Death Eaters and I' not sure who to even look for!' exclaimed Kassandra, throwing her hand up in the air.

Remus looked at his friend in an amused smile.

'Don't worry. He'll probably forget about it in a couple of weeks or assign you to a new task soon.'

Kassandra looked at Remus with a disbelieved look on her face.

'Fine, fine. Maybe not. Anyway I better go. Take care Kas,' said Remus, giving his friend a kiss on the cheeks before flooing out of the living room to his house.

Kassandra got up from the couch and headed upstairs to Arabella's room. She stood outside her daughter's room, watching her find a place for her stuffed animal.

'What are you doing honey?'

Arabella turned around to find her mother by the door.

'Trying to find a place for Snuffles,' said Arabella, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Kassandra chuckled fondly at her daughter's antics.

'Why don't you sleep with it instead?'

'Good idea Mommy!' said Arabella as she got in her bed with her stuffed animal.

Kassandra went to her daughter and sat on her bed.

'Did you have a good day,' said Kassandra as she tried to smooth Arabella's hair.

'I had fun today with Uncle Moony. You should come next time Mommy,' said Arabella, with a twinkle in her eyes, as she swatted away her mother's hand from her hair.

'We'll see sweetheart. Goodnight,' said Kassandra with a kiss on her daughter's head and left the room.

Kassandra went downstairs to her living room and got out a photo album the said, 'Arabella's First Birthday.'

Kassandra opened to the first photo and saw her, Arabella and Sirius smiling and waving at the camera. Tears come to her eyes, but she blinked them away. The next picture was of the Marauders pulling face, making Arabella and Harry laugh. There were some of Sirius holding Arabella and trying to feed her some cake. There was one of James with cake on his face after Harry smashed it all over his face. There were some of Lily gushing over Arabella and the little red dress she was wearing. There was one of Peter holding her, but she wanted to go to her father. There was also some of Remus holding Arabella and singing quietly to her. There was also one of her and Harry playing on the floor with her new toys.

Kassandra was looking at the picture and didn't notice that there was a pop outside of the door and that someone entered through the front door.

'Well, well, well, what do we have here? Kassandra Black is it?' drawled a voice near the front door.

Alarmed and scared, Kassandra looked up from the album and saw four figures standing there. She saw the speaker, Bellatrix Lestrange, Rodolphus Lestrange, his brother Rabastan and to her surprise, Barty Crouch Jr.

Kassandra jumped to her feet with her wand in her hand, but Bellatrix disarmed her is a swift motion and started to laugh at her foolish attempt.

'So Kassy, or Kas as my dear sweet foolish cousin used to call you, we're going to have some fun,' said Bellatrix in a wicked voice, waiting for what was to come.

'No time for that Bella. Let's come for what we came for and leave,' said Rabastan, pulling out his wand and uttering the words that scared Kassandra. '_CRUCIO!'_

Kassandra didn't scream, he didn't put any effort into that one and she's faced worse from the likes of them, but she was knocked to the ground.

'Hum… not good enough. _CRUCIO!_' exclaimed Rodolphus.

Kassandra let out a scream, her bones were on fire, and she wanted it to stop.

One by one each of the Death Eaters took turns torturing her.

'So now that your tongue is a bit loose, tell us, is there any word on the Dark Lord's whereabouts?' asked Barty Crouch Jr. with a wicked happy look on his face, eager for any news on his master.

'Burn in hell,' Kassandra said to him, with seat on her face.

His face turned from a wicked happy look to a furious one.

'You'll pay for that you filthy half-blood! _CRUCIO!_'

Kassandra let out another scream that hurt her throat and made Bellatrix laugh at her state.

Suddenly Bellatrix stopped laughing and smiled towards the stair. Walking towards it slowly.

'Well if it isn't my dear sweet cousin's daughter. Arabella is it? Want to go see Mommy?' asked Bellatrix in a false sweet voice.

Arabella, who had some tears in her eyes, shook her head and tried to get away from the monster that stood in front of her.

'Nonsense. Let's go see Mommy,' said Bellatrix, grabbing Arabella's arm roughly and dragged her to Kassandra. 'Here she is. Beautiful isn't she? On the ground, below our feet where she belongs.'

Rodolphus and Rabastan held onto her arms so that she can see what was happening. To her shock, Kassandra saw her daughter with Bellatrix holding onto her arm.

'This should make you loosen your tongue,' said Bellatrix as she let go of Arabella's arm and pointed her wand towards her.

'_CRUCIO!'_

Arabella felt that her whole body was on fire and she let out a big scream. She wanted it to stop, she wanted her Mommy to get rid for these people and she wanted Uncle Moony to take away the burning feeling. She started to cry with the pain of it.

'No! Stop! Have some mercy! She's just a child!' said Kassandra, who couldn't believe that someone was this evil and that she couldn't do anything to stop this from happening to her daughter.

'Then start talking!' snapped Barty, who just wanted information on his master.

Kassandra didn't pay attention to him; all she saw was her daughter and Bellatrix torturing her.

'Not talking are you? Well then it's a pity for what I'm going to do to this pretty one,' said Bellatrix as she dragged Arabella by the hair into the next room.

'No! Where are you going with my daughter! Come back here!' said Kassandra as Rodolphus and Rabastan let go of her arms and the men started to put the cruciatus curse on her again.

Kassandra wasn't focused on the burning feeling her body was going through. She was focused on the screams and cries that can from the next room.

A couple minutes later Bellatrix came back into the living room dragging Arabella with her.

'Look at your beautiful daughter. Isn't she precious?' asked Bellatrix in a false sweet voice with a smile on her face.

Kassandra looked at her daughter and, to her horror saw cuts all over her daughter's arms. Arabella was crying and hugging her chest.

'Look I don't know anything about Voldemort or where he is or anything,' said Kassandra, hoping that it would make them stop torturing her daughter.

'_HOW DARE YOU SPEAK HIS NAME! YOU FILTHY HALF-BLOOD! You're not even worthy of the Black name! You are a disgrace to the wizard name! You and your filth of a daughter!' _screeched Bellatrix whose face became red.

'We're going to give you one last chance. Where is the Dark Lord?' asked Rabastan in a low dangerous voice.

'I don't know. There haven't been any signs of him anywhere. Please, just stop,' said Kassandra, thinking that her daughter didn't deserve this kind of pain in her life.

'Enough. I'm getting tired of this. Let's just leave,' said Rodolphus, getting bored with no information being brought out.

'No. Not yet,' said Bellatrix, pointing her want at Kassandra. '_AVADA KEDAVRA!'_

With a flash of green light, Kassandra Black was gone from the world.

'MOMMY!' shouted Arabella, more tears falling to her eyes as she watched her mother's body become lifeless.

'Don't worry about it Arabella. You'll see her too,' said Bellatrix, smiling and pointing her wand at Arabella, who managed to reach her mother's body and cry onto her neck.

'_AVA – '_

Suddenly the door busted open and Aurors came into the living room pointing their wands at the four Death Eaters that occupied the room. Leading the charge of Aurors was Alastor Moody with his wand out.

'Drop your wands down now!' he exclaimed, watching the four Death Eaters and the child on the ground.

The Death Eaters dropped their wands and they were quickly put into handcuffs.

'You four are under arrest for the torture to insanity of Frank and Alice Longbottom. The torture of Kassandra and Arabella Black, and the death of Kassandra Black,' said Alastor Moody, looking at the four of them with disgust in his face.

'He'll rise again! You wait and see! We are his most loyal servants! We will be welcomed with open arms by the Dark Lord!' screeched Bellatrix, looking at the Aurors with a look of pride on her face for what she had done.

'Take the vermin away. I don't want to see their disgusting faces right now,' said Mad-Eye.

After they left the living room, he turned to the little girl that was clinging on to her mother, shielding her away from any more harm, and crying.

'Get Dumbledore and tell him what happened. Tell him to also come here urgently. Now!' he barked at one of the junior Aurors, who nodded his head as he went to the fireplace.

Mad-Eye approached the girl on the floor.

'Hey, kid. Why don't you sit on the couch or something?' he asked, unsure of how to act around three year olds.

Arabella looked up at the man that saved her life and shook her head.

'What's your name kid?' asked Mad-Eye, trying to get her mind of her mother's death.

'Arabella,' she replied in a small, cracked voice.

'Well, Arabella, there's a man named Albus Dumbledore that's going to come soon. He'll be able to sort this all out.'

'Moony. I need my Uncle Moony.'

'I don't know who Moony is. Albus will probably know though.'

Just as he said that, two people entered the living room. First was Albus Dumbledore with a grave look on his face. Following him was Remus Lupin with a sad, terrified look on his face.

'UNCLE MOONY!' Arabella exclaimed while running to go hug him, clinging onto any part of him she can reach.

'Arabella! What happ – 'he stopped midsentence after seeing the blood on his goddaughter's arms and the body that was on the ground.

'It was horrible Uncle Moony! There were these people and they did something to Mommy and she was in pain and one of them saw he and they did the same to me and my whole body was on fire and then she said something and Mommy's not waking up!' exclaimed Arabella who started to burst into tears again.

'Shush. It's going to be fine. It's going to be okay. I'm here sweetheart,' said Remus, who had tears in his eyes and voice started to crack when he realized that his last remaining friend was gone.

Dumbledore turned to Mad-Eye.

'Who were the people that you arrested?' asked Dumbledore, his voice dangerous and there wasn't the usual twinkle in his eyes.

'Bellatrix Lestrange, her husband Rodolphus, Rabastan and Barty Crouch Jr.,' said May-Eye, also turning away from Arabella and Remus.

'Barty Crouch Jr.? Are you sure?' asked Dumbledore with disbelief on his voice.

'I was surprised to Albus. Kid was good. Wonder what happened.'

Dumbledore turned back to Remus.

'Remus, we have to get her the St. Mungo's. Her arms have to heal,' Dumbledore said with a sad look on his face as he saw the cuts all over the innocent's child's arms.

'Yeah, ok I'll take her. Can you tell Andromeda? She'll probably want to know.'

'I'll owl her. Just focus on Arabella for now. She needs you.'

Remus nodded as he disappeared through the fireplace.

'We have to move the body and bury her later,' said Dumbledore as he turned to Mad-Eye.

'I'll as one of the junior Aurors, you go write that letter and I meet you in St. Mungo's,' replied Mad-Eye who was filled with concern for the little girl that left the room.

Dumbledore nodded and left the room.

* * *

Some time later

Remus was waiting outside of the room in St. Mungo's as his goddaughter was in a room getting healed up. He heard footsteps and a clunking noise coming his way. He looked up and saw that Dumbledore and Mad-Eye were walking this way.

Dumbledore reached him first.

'How is she?' he asked with concern in his voice.

'She's getting her cuts healed, there might be some permanent scar since some of them were pretty deep,' said Remus who still had tears on his face.

'How is she mentally?'

'She's not good. She keeps crying. I tried to calm her down but nothings working. They made me leave the room so that they can check her properly. I don't know what else to do,' said Remus, as his voice started to crack again.

'Everything will be okay Remus. She's safe now,' said Dumbledore, trying to reassure Remus, but finding it very hard as he remembers Kassandra from her time at Hogwarts.

'What's going to happen to those people now?' asked Remus, hoping that they would be locked up for life, never seeing the light of day ever again.

'Trial in front of the Council. Hopeful put away for life,' replied Mad-Eye.

Remus nodded his head.

'I want custody of Arabella. I'll take care of her. She's like a daughter to me and I'll take care of her,' said Remus to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore nodded his head.

'I'll try to see what I can do. Just worry about Arabella. Andromeda should be here anything soon,' said Dumbledore as he turned away, heading towards the Ministry to sort out Arabella's guardianship.

'Take care Lupin,' said Mad-Eye as he patted Remus' back and walked away.

Soon after the door opened and the healer let Remus into the room. The healer told his that she was sleeping and that they were going to keep her here overnight to watch some of the deeper cuts on her arms. Remus nodded and entered the room. He saw Arabella's sleeping form on the bed.

_She looks so innocent. She doesn't deserve this_ he thought as he grabbed a chair and pulled it close to her bed. _I'm going to protect you. No one is ever going to hurt you again_, as he stroked her hair with tears in his eyes.


	3. Platform Nine and Three Quarters

**Hello! This chapter and the rest of the story will be told from Harry's POV, like how it was done in the books. Again, most of the story will stay true to its original self but with some changes made by me. **

**disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything that has to do with it. I only own Arabella. **

**Please review! :)**

The Journey from Platform Nine and Three Quarters

' – packed with Muggles, of course – '

Harry swung round. The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair. Each of them was pushing a trunk like Harry's in front of him – and they had an _owl._

Heart hammering, Harry pushed his trolley after them. They stopped and so did he, just near enough to hear what they were saying.

'Now, what's the platform number?' said the boys' mother.

'Nine and three quarter!' piped a small girl, also red-headed, who was holding her hand. 'Mum, can't I go…'

'You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet. All right, Percy, you go first.'

What looked like the oldest boy marched towards platforms nine and ten. Harry watched, careful not to blink in case he missed it – but just as the boy reached the divide between the two platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swarming in front of him and by the last rucksack had cleared away, the boy had vanished.

'Fred, you next,' the plump woman said.

'I'm not Fred, I'm George,' said the boy. 'Honestly, woman, call yourself our mother? Can't you _tell_ I'm George?'

'Sorry, George, dear.'

'Only joking, I am Fred,' said the boy, and off he went. His twin called after him to hurry up, and he must have done, because a second later, he had gone – but how had he done it?

Now the third brother was walking briskly towards the ticket barrier – he was almost there – and then, quite suddenly, he wasn't anywhere.

There was nothing else for it.

'Excuse me,' Harry said to the plump woman.

'Hullo, dear,' she said. 'First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new, too.'

She pointed at the last and youngest of her sons. He was tall, thin and gangling, with freckles, big hands and feet and a long nose.

'Yes,' said Harry. The thing is – the thing is, I don't know how to – '

'How to get on to the platform?' she said kindly, and Harry nodded.

'Not to worry,' she said. 'All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before Ron.'

'Er – OK,' said Harry.

He pushed his trolley round and stared at the barrier. It looked very solid.

He started to walk towards it. People jostled him on their way to platforms nine and ten. Harry walked more quickly. He was trouble – leaning forward on his trolley he broke into a heavy run – the barrier was coming nearer and nearer – he wouldn't be able to stop – the trolley was out of control – he was a foot away – he closed his eyes ready for the crash –

It didn't come… he kept on running … he opened his eyes.

A scarlet stream engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign over head said _Hogwarts Express, 11 o'clock._ Harry looked behind him and saw a wrought iron archway where the ticket box had been, with the words _platform Nine and Three Quarters_ on it. He had done it.

Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowds, while cats of every colour wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to each other in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.

The first few carriages were already packed with students, some hanging out of the window to talk to their families, some fighting over seats. Harry pushed his trolley off down the platform in search of an empty seat. He passed a round – faced boy who was saying, 'Gran, I've lost my toad again.'

'Oh, _Neville_,' he heard the old woman sign

A boy with dreadlocks was surrounded by a small crowd.

'Give us a look, Lee, go on.'

The boy lifted the lid of a box in his arms and the people around him shrieked and yelled as something inside poked out a long, hairy led.

Harry passed on through the crowd until he found an empty compartment near the end of the train. He put Hedwig inside first and then started to shove and heave his trunk towards the train door. He tried to lift it up the steps but could hardly raise one end and twice he dropped it painfully on his foot.

'Want a hand?' It was one of the red-haired twins he followed through the ticket box.

'Yes, please,' Harry panted.

'Oy, Fred! C'mere and help!'

With the twins help, Harry's trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment.

'Thanks,' said Harry, pushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes.

'What's that?' said one of the twins suddenly, pointing at Harry's lightning scar.

'Blimey,' said the other twin. 'Are you - ?'

'He is,' said the first twin. 'Aren't you?' he added to Harry.

'What?' said Harry.

'_Harry Potter_,' chorused the twins.

'Oh, him,' said Harry. 'I mean, yes, I am.'

The two boys gawped at him and Harry felt himself going red. Then, to his relief, a voice came floating in through the train's open door.

'Fred? George? Are you there?'

'Coming, Mum.'

With a last look at Harry, the twins hopped off the train.

Harry sat down next to the window where, half-hidden, he could watch the red-haired family on the platform and hear what they were saying. Their mother had just taken out her handkerchief.

'Ron, you've got something on your nose.'

The youngest boy tried to jerk out of the way, but she grabbed him and began rubbing the end of his nose.

'_Mum – _geroff.' He wiggled free.

'Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on nosie?' said one of the twins.

'Shut up,' said Ro.

'Where's Percy?' said their mother.

'He's coming now.'

The oldest boy came striding into sight. He had already changed into his billowing black Hogwarts robes and Harry noticed a shiny silver badge on his chest with the letter _P_ on it.

'Can't stay long, Mother,' he said. 'I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves – '

'Oh, are you a _prefect, _Percy?' said one of the twins with an air of great surprise. 'You should have said something, we had no idea.'

'Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it,' said the other twin. 'Once – '

'Or twice – '

'A minute – '

'All summer – '

'Oh, shut up,' said Percy the Prefect.

'How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?' said one of the twins.

'Because he's a _prefect_,' said their mother fondly. 'All right, dear, well, have a good term – send me an owl when you get there.'

She kissed Percy on the cheek and he left. Then she turned to the twins.

'Now, you two – this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've – you've blown up a toilet or – '

'Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet.'

'Great idea though, thanks Mum.'

'It's _not funny_. And look after Ron.'

'Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us.'

'Shut up,' said Ron again. He was almost as tall as the twins already and his nose was still pink where his mother had rubbed it.

'Hey, Mum, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?'

Harry leant back quickly so they couldn't see him looking.

'You know that black-haired boy who was near us in the station? Know who he is?'

'Who?'

'_Harry Potter!_'

Harry heard the little girl's voice.

'Oh, Mum, can I go on the train and see him, Mum, oh please…'

'You've already seen him, Ginny, and the poor boy isn't something you google at in a zoo. Is he really, Fred? How do you know?'

'Asked him. Saw his scar. It's really there – like lightning.'

'Poor _dear – _no wonder he was alone. I wondered. He was ever so polite when he asked how to get on to the platform.'

'Never mind that, do you think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?'

Their mother suddenly became very stern.

'I forbid you to ask him, Fred. No, don't you dare. As though he needs reminding of that on his first day at school.'

'All right, keep your hair on.'

A whistle sounded.

'Hurry up!' their mother said, and the three boys clambered on to the train. They leant out of the window for her to kiss them goodbye and their younger sister began to cry.

'Don't, Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls.'

'We'll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat.'

'_George!_'

'Only joking, Mum.'

The train began to move. Harry saw the boy's mother waving and their sister, half laughing, half crying, running to keep up with the train until it gathered too much speed, then she fell back and waved.

Harry watched the girl and her mother disappear as the train rounded the corner. He didn't know what he was going to – but it had to be better than what he was leaving behind.

The door of the compartment slid open and the youngest red-headed boy came in.

'Anyone sitting there?' he asked, pointing at the seat opposite Harry. 'Everywhere else is full.'

Harry shook his head and the boy sat down. He glanced at harry and then looked quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked. Harry saw he still had a black mark on his nose.

'Hey, Ron.'

The twins were back.

'Listen, we're going down the middle of the train – Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there.'

'Right,' mumbled Ron.

'Harry,' said the other twin, 'did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. See you later, then.'

Bye,' said Harry and Ron. The twins slid the compartment door shut behind them.

'Are you really Harry Potter?' Ron blurt out.

Harry nodded.

'Oh – well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes,' said Ron. 'And have you got – you know…'

He pointed at Harry's forehead.

Harry pulled back his fringe to show the lightning scar. Ron stared.

'So that's where You-Know-Who - ?'

'Yes,' said Harry, 'but I can't remember it.'

'Nothing?' said Ron eagerly.

'Well – I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else.'

'Wow,' said Ron. He sat and stared at Harry for a few minutes before the door compartment suddenly opened, entering a tan girl with dark brown hair and grey eyes.

'Sorry to interrupt, but can I sit here? I sat with a couple of people before, they weren't too kind to me after learning about my blood – status.'

'Sure, go ahead,' said Harry. Ron nodding.

'Thanks,' the girl said with a smile, taking the seat next to Harry. 'I'm Arabella Black.'

'Ron Weasley.'

'Harry Potter'

'Are you really?' Arabella said.

'Um – yes,' said Harry, a bit unnerved by these questions about who he really was.

'Sorry if it bothers you. It's nice to meet you both. You're definitely better than the people I sat with before,' Arabella said.

'It's fine, really,' reassured Harry.

'So are all your family wizards?' asked Harry, addressing Ron and Arabella, who found them just as interesting as they found him.

'Er – yes, I think so,' said Ron. 'I think Mum's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him.'

'All of the people on my dad's side are wizards and some on my mom's side too I think. I don't keep in touch with them,' said Arabella.

'So you guys must know loads of magic already.'

The Weasley and Blacks were clearly one of those old wizarding families the pale boy in Diagon Alley had talked about.

'I heard you went to live with Muggles,' said Ron. 'What are they like?'

'Horrible – well, not all of them. My aunt and uncle are though, wish I'd had three wizard brothers.'

'Five,' said Ron. For some reason, he was looking gloomy. 'I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left – Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand and Percy's old rat.'

Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat grey rat, which was asleep. 'His name's Scrabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff – I mean, I got Scabbers instead.'

Ron's ears went pink. He seemed to think he said too much, because he went back to staring out of the window.

'So what about you Arabella?' said Harry, trying to take Ron's mind off of his problem.

'Er – well I live with my uncle Remus, well he's technically not my uncle, he's my godfather, but I just call him my uncle. I also have my Aunt Andromeda, Uncle Ted and Nymphadora, my cousin.'

'What happened to your mum and dad?' asked Ron, turning away from the window.

'My mom died 8 years ago and my dad left,' said Arabella while rubbing her arms through her white long sleeves. Harry could tell that there was something she was not telling them, but he didn't want to push the first people he would meet on the train.

He started to tell Ron and Arabella all about his life with the Dursleys, having to wear Dudley's old clothes and never getting proper birthday presents. This seemed to cheer Ron a bit and make Arabella appalled by his relatives.

'… and until Hagrid told me, I didn't know anything about being a wizard or about my parents or Voldemort – '

Ron gasped. Arabella rolled her eyes.

'What?' said Harry.

'_You said You-Know-Who's name!_' said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed. 'I'd have thought you, of all people – '

'I'm not trying to be _brave _or anything, saying the name,' said Harry. 'I just never knew you shouldn't. See what I mean? I've got loads to learn… I bet,' he added, voicing for the first time something that had been worrying him a lot lately, 'I bet I'm the worst in the class.'

'Harry, don't worry about be the worse in the class. We all start out on the same level and lots of people come from Muggle families and they learn quickly,' said Arabella.

Harry nodded.

While they had been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past.

Around half-past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, 'Anything off the trolley, dears?'

Harry, who hadn't had any breakfast, leapt to his feet with Arabella, but Ron's ears went pink again and he muttered that he'd brought sandwiched. Harry and Arabella went out into the corridor.

He had never had any money for sweets with the Dursleys and now that he had pockets rattling with gold and silver he was ready to buy as many Mars Bars as he could carry – but the woman didn't have Mars Bars. What she did have were Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Droobles Best Blowing Gum, Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, Liquorice Wands and a number of other strange things Harry had never seen in his life. Not wanting to miss anything and paid the woman eleven silver Sickles and seven bronze Knuts. Arabella got five Chocolate Frogs and a pack of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans.

Ron stared as Harry and Arabella brought it all back into the compartment and Harry tripped it on to an empty seat, while Arabella kept hers next to his pile.

'Hungry, are you?'

'Starving,' said Harry, taking a large bite of the pumpkin pasty while Arabella started to eat the Chocolate Frog.

Ron had taken out a lumpy package and unwrapped it. There were four sandwiches in there. He pulled one of them apart and said, 'She always forgets I don't like corned beef.'

'Here why don't we trade? Have some chocolate,' said Arabella, holding a Chocolate Frog towards Ron. 'Go on.'

'You don't want this, it's all dry,' said Ron. 'She hasn't got much time,' he added quickly, 'you know, with the five of us.'

'Go on, have a pasty,' said Harry, who had never had anything to share before, or indeed, anyone to share it with. It was a nice feeling, sitting there with Ron and Arabella, eating away through their pasties and cakes (the sandwiches lay forgotten).

Harry turned to Arabella while holding a pack of Chocolate Frogs and asked, 'Those weren't _really _frogs were they?' He was starting to feel that nothing would surprise.

'No. It's the card you really want,' said Arabella, while starting to eat her second piece of chocolate.

'What?'

'Oh, of course, you wouldn't know – Chocolate Frogs have cards inside them, you know, to collect – famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred, but I haven't got Agrippa or Ptolemy,' said Ron.

'I've got about two Agrippa and three Ptolemy. Do you have Felix Summerbee or Falco Aesalon? I'll trade you,' said Arabella after finishing her second chocolate and starting on her third.

'Sure. I give them to you later. Just got to find them,' agreed Ron.

Harry unwrapped his Chocolate Frog and picked up the card. It showed a man's face. He wore half-moon glasses, had a log crooked nose and a flowing silver hair, beard and mustache. Underneath the picture was the name _Albus Dumbledore._

'So _this _is Dumbledore!' said Harry.f

'Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore!' said Ron. 'Can I have a frog? Maybe I'll get Agrippa – thanks – '

Harry turned over his card and read:

_Albus Dumbledore, currently Headmaster of Hogwarts. _

_Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicholas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling._

Harry turned the card back over and saw, to his astonishment, that Dumbledore's face had disappeared.

'He's gone!'

'In the wizarding world picture move all the time,' said Arabella with some chocolate in her mouth.

'Don't worry he'll be back. No, I've got Morgana again and I've got about six of her… do you want it? You can start collecting,' said Ron, eating the chocolate.

Ron's eyes strayed to the pile of chocolate frogs waiting to be unwrapped, while Arabella was almost done her small pile that she bought.

'Help yourselves,' said Harry. 'But in, you know, the Muggle world, people just stay put in photos.'

'Do they? What, they don't move at all? _Weird!_' Ron sounded amazed while Arabella rolled her eyes and chuckled at Ron's antics.

Harry stared as Dumbledore sidled back into the picture on his card and gave him a small smile. Ron and Arabella were more interested in eating the frogs than looking at the Famous Witches and Wizards cards, but Harry couldn't keep his eyes of them. Soon he had not only Dumbledore and Morgana, but Hengist of Woodcroft, Alberic Grunnion, Circe, Paracelsus and Merlin. He finally tore his eyes away from the druidess Cliondna, who was scratching her nose, to open a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans.

'You want to be more careful with those,' Ron warned Harry. 'When they say every flavour, they _mean _every flavour – you know you get all the ordinary one like chocolate and peppermint and marmalade, but then you can get spinach and liver and tripe. George reckons he had a bogey-flavoured one once.'

'Come off it. Bogey-flavoured? I highly doubt that Ron. It's disgusting!' said Arabella, picking up a bean and chewing one end of it. 'Chocolate, mmm…'

'Bit of a chocolate lover aren't you?' asked Ron, as he also picked up a green bean and carefully bit into a corner of it.

'Of course I am! It's the best thing in the world!' said Arabella, going for another chocolate frog.

'Blaeegh – see? Sprouts,' exclaimed Ron, trying to prove his point from before.

They had a good time eating the Every Flavour Beans. Harry got toast, coconut, baked bean, strawberry, curry, grass, coffee, sardine and was even brave enough to nibble the end off a funny grey one Ron wouldn't touch, which turned out to be pepper.

The countryside now flying past the window was becoming wilder. The neat fields had gone. Now there were woods , twisting rivers and dark green hills.

There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced boy Harry had passed on platform nine and three quarters came in. he looked tearful.

'Sorry,' he said, 'but have you seen a toad at all?'

When they shook their heads, he wailed, 'I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!'

'He'll turn up,' said Arabella, trying to reassure the poor boy in front of them.

'Yes,' said the boy miserably. 'Well, if you see him…'

He left.

'Don't know why he's so bothered,' said Ron. 'If I'd brought a toad I'd lost it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk.'

The rat was still snoozing on Ron's lap.

'He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference,' said Ron in disgust. 'I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look…'

He rummaged around his trunk and pulled out a very battered looking want. It was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the end.

'Are you sure that wand's safe? It has some of the feathers sticking out of it,' said Arabella, eyeing the end of the wand with uncertainty.

'It's fine. Unicorn hair's just poking out. Anyway –'

He had just raised his wand when the compartment door slid open again. The toadless boy was back, but this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes.

'Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one,' she said. She had a bossy sort of a voice, lots of bushy brown hair and rather large front teeth.

'We've already told him we haven't seen it,' said Ron, but the girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in his hand.

'Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then.'

She sat down. Ron looked taken aback.

'Er – all right.'

He cleared his throat.

'Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow,

Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow.'

He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed grey and fast asleep.

'Are you sure that's a real spell?' said the girl. 'Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard – I've learnt all our set books off by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough – I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?'

She said this all very fast.

Harry looked at Ron and Arabella and was relieved to see by their stunned faces that they hadn't learnt all the set books by heart either.

'I'm Arabella Black,' said Arabella, still with a stunned look on her face.

'Ron Weasley ,' Ron muttered.

'Harry Potter,' said Harry.

'Are you really?' said Hermione. 'I know all about you, of course – I got a few extra books for background reading, and you're in _Modern Magical History _and _The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts _and _Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century._'

'Am I?' said Harry, felling dazed.

'Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me,' said Hermione. 'Do any of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best, I hear Dumbledore himself was one, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad… Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You three had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon.'

And she left, taking the toadless boy with her.

'Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it,' said Ron. He threw his wand back into his trunk. 'Stupid spell – George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud.'

'Did you see her? She didn't take a breath! How does she – wow!' muttered Arabella.

Harry turned to Ron.

'What house are your brothers in?' asked Harry.

'Gryffindor,' said Ron. Gloom seemed to be settling on him again. 'Mum and Dad were in it too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw _would be too bad_.'

'What about you Arabella?' said Harry turning back to Arabella.

'Well, my mom and uncle Remus was in Gryffindor, but most of my family were in Slytherin,' said Arabella, as looking a bit gloom.

'Your family was in Slytherin?' said Ron, looking a bit astonished.

'Um… well… yeah… they're not really nice people, but my aunt Andy's a good person. My cousin is in Hufflepuff, so I don't know where I might go. I just hope it's not Slytherin,' said Arabella, looking a bit embarrassed talking about her family.

'Vol –I mean, You-Know-Who was in Slytherin, right?'

'Yeah,' said Ron. He flopped back into his seat, looking a bit depressed.

'You know, I think the ends of Scabbers' whiskers are a bit lighter,' said Harry, trying to take Ron's mind off houses. 'So what do your oldest brothers do now they've left, anyway?'

Harry was wondering what a wizard did once he'd finished school.

'Charlie's in Romania studying dragons and Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts,' said Ron. 'Did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the _Daily Prophet, _but I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles – someone tried to rob a high security vault.'

Harry and Arabella stared at Ron.

'What happened?' asked Arabella.

'Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happened in case You-Know-Who's behind it.'

Harry noticed that Arabella started to rum her arms again. He turned this news over in his mind. He was starting to get a prickle of fear every time You-Know-Who was mentioned. He supposed this was all part of entering the magical word, but it had been a lot more comfortable saying 'Voldemort' without worrying.

'What's your Quidditch team?' Ron asked.

'Puddlemere United,' replied Arabella.

'Er – I don't know any,' Harry confessed.

'What!' Ron looked dumfounded, while Arabella rolled her eyes. 'Oh, you wait, it's the best game in the world –' And he was off, explaining all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous games he had been with his brothers and the broomstick he'd like to get if he had the money. Arabella offered some of the some of the fouls she learned while watching some games with her cousin. She was just about to tell him about _Snitchnip_ when the compartment door slid open yet again, but it wasn't Neville the toadless boy or Hermione Granger this time.

Three boys entered and Harry recognized the middle one at once: it was the pale boy from Madam Malkin's robe shop. Harry noticed that Arabella went rather stiff as the pale boy was looking at Harry with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley.

'Is it true?' he said. 'They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?'

'Yes,' said Harry. He was looking at the other boys. Both of them were the thickest and looked extremely mean. Standing either side of the pale boy they looked like bodyguards.

'Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle,' said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. 'And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy.'

Arabella narrowed her eyes when the boy introduced them while Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Draco Malfoy looked at him.

'Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Wealeys have red hair, freckled and more children than they can afford.'

He turned to Arabella.

'And who might you be?'

'Arabella Black,' she said while still looking at him with narrowed eyes.

'Really? Why are you hanging out with people like him?' he pointed to Ron. 'You should be hanging out with us.' Arabella looked furious.

He turned back to Harry. You'll soon find out some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there.'

He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it.

'I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks,' he said coolly.

Draco Malfoy turned back to Arabella.

'What about you? We are family. I'll guide you along the right path.'

'I'm fine thank you very much,' said Arabella through her gritted teeth while glaring daggers at Draco Malfoy.

Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeard in his pale cheeks when he got rejected twice.

'I'd be careful if I were you, Potter,' he said slowly, turning back to Harry. 'Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around riff-raff like the Weasley and that Hagrid and it'll rub off on you. But if you hang around people like Black, they get you before you get them.'

Harry, Ron and Arabella stood up. Arabella's face just as red as Ron's hair.

'Say that again,' she said.

'Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?' Malfoy sneered.

'Unless you get out mow,' said Harry, more bravely than he felt, because Crabbe and Goyle were a lot bigger than him or Ron. Certainly bigger than Arabella.

'But we don't feel like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seen to have some.'

Goyle reached towards the Chocolate Frogs next to Ron – Ron leapt forward, but before he'd so much as touch Goyle, Goyle let out a horrible yell.

Scabbers the rat was hanging off his finger, sharp little teeth sunk deep into Goyle's knuckle – Crabbe and Malfoy backed away and Goyle swung Scabbers round and round, howling, and when Scabber finally flew off an hit the window, all three of then disappeared at once. Perhaps they thought there were more rat lurking among the sweets, or perhaps they'd heard footsteps, because a second later, Hermione Granger had come in.

'What _has_ been going on?' she said, looking at the sweets all over the floor and Ron picking up Scabbers by his tail.

'I think he's been knocked out,' Ron told to Harry and Arabella. He looked closer to Scabbers. 'No – I don't believe it – he's gone back to sleep.'

And so he had.

'You've meet Malfoy before?'

Harry explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley.

'I've heard of his family,' said Ron darkly. 'They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side.'

Harry turned to Arabella.

'Is he really your family?'

'Yeah, he's my cousin or something from my dad's side. All pureblood families are related somehow,' said Arabella, looking embarrassed about who she was related to. 'Just can't believe that his mother didn't tell him to stay away from me.'

'Don't worry. You don't need people like him,' said Ron. He turned to Hermione. 'Can we help you with something?'

'You'd better hurry up and put your robes on, I've just been up front to ask the driver and he says we're nearly there. You haven't been fighting, have you? You'll be in trouble before we even get there!'

'Scabbers has been fighting, not us,' said Ron, scowling at her. 'Would you mind leaving while we change?'

'All right – I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors,' said Hermione in a sniffy voice. 'And you've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?'

Ron glared at her as she left. Harry peered out of the window. It was getting dark. He could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down.

He and Ron changed in the compartment as Arabella changed in the washroom. As noticed that Ron's robes were a bit short for him, you could see his trainers underneath them.

A voice echoed through the train as Arabella came back from the washroom: 'We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately.'

Harry's stomach lurched with nerves and Ron, he saw, looked pale under his freckles while Arabella looked excited. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.

The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way towards the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Harry shivered in the cold air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students and Harry heard a familiar voice: 'Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?'

Hagrid's big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.

'C'mon, follow me – any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!'

Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagrid down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark either side of them that Harry thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.

'Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec,' Hagrid called over his shoulder, 'jus' round this bend here.'

There was a loud 'Oooooh!'

The narrow path had opened suddenly on to the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

'No more'n five to a boat!' Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry, Ron and Arabella were followed into there by Neville and Hermione.

'Everyone in?' shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself, 'Right then – FORWARD!'

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake which was a smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

'Heads down!' yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy which hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbour, where they clambered out on to rocks and pebbles.

'Oy, you there! Is this your toad?' said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.

'Trevor!' cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last on to smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.

They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.

'Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?'

Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.

**Thank you for reading! Please review! :)**


	4. The Sorting Hat

**Hello! Here's the next chapter! They are about to be Sorted and Harry learns something about Arabella! **

**disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, if I did I would have made about 20 more books for the series. I only own Arabella and the story that comes with her. **

**Enjoy! Please review! :) **

The Sorting Hat

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Harry's first thought was that this was not someone to cross.

'The firs' years, Professor McGonagall,' said Hagrid.

'Thank you, Hagird. I will take them from here.'

She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fitted the whole of the Dursleys' house in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.

They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Harry could hear the drone of thousands of voices from a doorway to the right – the rest of the school must already be here – but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer tighter than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.

'Welcome to Hogwarts,' said Professor McGonagall. 'The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your houses will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common-room. The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting.'

Her eyes lingered for a moment of Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose. Harry nervously tried to flatten his hair.

'I shall return when we are ready for you,' said Professor McGonagall. 'Please wait quietly.'

She left the chamber. Harry swallowed.

'How exactly do they sort us into houses?' he asked Ron and Arabella.

'Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking,' replied Ron, while Arabella smiled with mischief.

Harry's heart gave a horrible jolt. A test? In front of the whole school? But he didn't know any magic yet – what on earth would he have to do? He hadn't expected something like this the moment they arrived. He looked around anxiously and saw that everyone else looked terrified, except for Arabella who looked excited for the Sorting. No one was talking much except Hermione Granger, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learnt and wondering which one she'd need. Harry tried hard not to listen to her. He'd never been more nervous, never, not even when he'd had to take a school report home to the Dursleys saying that he'd somehow turned his teacher's wig blue. He kept his eyes fixed on the door. Any second now, Professor McGonagall would come back and lead him to his doom.

Harry turned to Arabella, 'How are you calm about this?'

'Because I know how they are going to sort us. And, plus, watching everyone freak out is kind of fun.'

Then something happened which made him jump about a foot in the air – several people behind him screamed.

'What the - ?'

He gasped. So did the people around him. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to each other and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying, 'Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance –'

'My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost – I say, what are you all doing here?'

A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.

Nobody answered.

'New student!' said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. 'About to be Sorted, I suppose?'

A few people nodded mutely.

'Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!' said the Friar. 'My old house, you know.'

'Move along now,' said a sharp voice. 'The Sorting Ceremony's about to start.'

Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.

'Now, form a line,' Professor McGonagall told the first years, 'and follow me.'

Feeling oddly as though his legs had turned to lead, Harry got into line behind a boy with sandy hair, with Ron and Arabella behind him, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

Harry had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles which were floating in mid-air over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Harry looked upwards and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. He heard Hermione whisper, 'It's bewitched to look like the sky outside, I read about is in _Hogwarts, A History._'

It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens.

Harry quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Aunt Petunia wouldn't have let it in the house.

Maybe they had to try and get a rabbit out of it, harry thought wildly, that seemed the sort of thing – noticing that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat, he stared at it too. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. The only noise Harry could here were Arabella's faint excited jumping made by her shoes. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth – and the hat began to sing :

_'Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge me on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find _

_A smarter hat like me._

_You can keep your bowlers black, _

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindor apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal, _

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true,_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_If you've a ready mind, _

_Where those of wit and learning, _

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folk use any means _

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a Thinking Cap!'_

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.

'So we've just got to try on the hat!' Ron whispered to Harry and Arabella. 'I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll.'

Harry turned to Arabella, 'You know, you could have put us out of our misery and just told us it was a hat.'

'And where would be the fun in that?' said Arabella with a mischief grin and a twinkle in her eyes.

Harry smiled weakly. Yes, trying on the hat was a lot better than having to do a spell, but he wish they could have tried it on without everyone watching. The hat seemed to be asking rather a lot; Harry didn't fell brave or quick-witted or any of it at the moment. If only the hat had mentioned a house for people who felt a bit queasy, that would have been the one for him.

Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

'When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted,' she said. 'Abbott, Hannah!'

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down her eyes, and sat down. A moment's pause –

'HUFFLEPUFF!' shouted the hat.

The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah wen to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Harry saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.

'Black, Arabella!'

As Arabella was walking up to the stool, whispers broke out through the tables.

'Black? As in _Sirius Black's_ daughter?'

'Probably Slytherin, why bother Sorting her.'

Arabella went to the stool and put the hat on. It was silent in the hall for the longest time before it shouted again:

'GRYFFINDOR!'

It was still silent in the hall as Arabella searched for Gryffindor table. A moment later the table on the far left exploded with cheers. Arabella walked merrily to the Gryffindor table, as there were still some silent whispers going on, mostly with the older students.

'Bones, Susan!'

'HUFFLEPUFF!' shouted the hat, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.

'Boot, Terry!'

'RAVENCLAW!'

The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.

'Brocklehurst, Mandy' went to Ravenclaw too, 'Brown, Lavender' went to Gryffindor and was met with cheers louder than Arabella's. Harry could see Ron's twin brothers catcalling.

'Bulstrode, Millicent' then became a Slytherin. Perhaps it was Harry's imagination, after all he'd heard about Slytherin, but her thought they looked an unpleasant lot.

He was starting to fell definitely sick now. He remembered being picked for teams during sports lessons at his old school. He had always been last to be chosen, not because he was no good, but because no one wanted Dudley to think they like him.

'Finch-Fletchley, Justin!'

'HUFFLEPUFF!'

Sometimes, Harry noticed, the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others it took a little while to decide, like it did with Arabella. 'Finnigan, Seamus,' the sand-haired boy next to Harry in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.

'Granger, Hermione!'

Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.

'GRYFFINDOR!' shouted the hat. Ron groaned.

A horrible thought struck Harry, as horrible thoughts always do when you're very nervous. What if her wasn't chosen at all? What if he just sat there with the hat over his eyes for ages, until Professor McGonagall jerked it off his head and said there had obviously been a mistake and he'd better get back on the train?

When Neville Longbottom, the boy who kept losing his toad, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool the hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted 'GRYFFINDOR' Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to 'MacDougal, Morag'.

Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed 'SLYTHERIN!'

Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself.

There weren't many people left now.

'Moon'…, 'Nott'…, 'Parkinson'…, then a pair of twin girls, 'Patil' and 'Patil'…, then 'Perks, Sally-Anne'…, and then, at last –

'Potter, Harry!'

Just like Arabella, Harry endured whispers around him as he made his way to the hat.

'_Potter, _did she say?'

'_The _Harry Potter?'

The last thing Harry saw before the hat dropped over his eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at him. Next second he was looking at the black inside of the hat. He waited.

'Hmm,' said a small voice in his ear. 'Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind, either. There's talent, oh my goodness, yes – and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting… So where shall I put you?'

Harry gripped the edges of the stool and thought, 'Not Slytherin, not Slytherin.'

'Not Slytherin, eh?' said the small voice. 'Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that – no? Well, if you're sure – better be GRYFFINDOR!'

Harry heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. He took off the hat and walked shakily towards the Gryffindor table. He was so relieved to have been chosen and not put in Slytherin, he hardly noticed that he was getting the loudest cheer yet. Arabella started to whistle while Percy the Prefect got up and shook his hands vigorously and the Weasley twins yelled, 'We got Potter! We got Potter!' Harry sat down beside Arabella and opposite the ghost in the ruff he'd seen earlier. The ghost patted his arm, giving Harry the sudden, horrible feeling he'd just plunged it into a bucket of ice-cold water.

He could see the High Table properly now. At the end nearest him sat Hagrid, who caught his eye and gave him the thumbs up. Harry grinned back. And there, in the centre of the High Table, in a large gold chair, sat Albus Dumbledore. Harry recognised him at once from the card he'd got out of the Chocolate Frog on the train. Dumbledore's silver hair was the only thing in the whole hall that shone as brightly as the ghosts. Harry spotted Professor Quirrell, too, the nervous young man from the Leaky Cauldron. He was looking very peculiar in a large purple turban.

And now there were only three people left to be sorted. 'Turpin, Lisa' became a Ravenclaw and then it was Ron's turn. He was pale green by now. Harry crossed his fingers under the table while Arabella muttered 'Come on Ron' under her breath. A second later the hat shouted 'GRYFFINDOR!'

Harry and Arabella clapped loudly with the rest as Ron collapsed into the chair across from them.

'Well done, Ron, excellent,' said Percy Weasley pompously across Harry as 'Zabini, Blaise' was made a Slytherin. Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.

Harry looked down at his empty gold plate. He had only just realised how hungry he was. The pumpkin pasties seemed ages ago.

Albus Dumbledore had got to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.

'Welcome!' he said. 'Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

'Thank you!'

He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Arabella whispered 'Finally!' underneath her breath as she also clapped. Harry didn't know whether to laugh or not.

'Is he – a bit mad?' he asked Percy uncertainly.

'Mad?' said Percy airily. 'He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Potatoes, Harry?'

Harry's mouth fell open. The dishes in front of him were now piled with food. He had never seen so many things he liked to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, chips, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup and, for some strange reason, mint humbugs.

The Dursleys had never exactly starved Harry, but he'd never been allowed to eat as much as he liked. Dudley had always taken anything that Harry really wanted, even if it made him sick. Harry piled his plate with a bit of everything except the humbugs and began to eat. It was all delicious.

'That does look good,' said the ghost in the ruff sadly, watching Harry cut up his steak.

'Can't you - ?'

'I haven't eaten for nearly five hundred years,' said the ghost. 'I don't need to, of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower.

'I know who you are!' said Ron suddenly. 'My brothers told me about you – you're Nearly Headless Nick!'

'I would _prefer _you call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy – 'the ghost began stiffly, but sandy-haired Seamus Finnigan interpreted.

'_Nearly _Headless? How can you be _nearly _headless?'

Sir Nicholas looked extremely miffed, as if their little chat wasn't going at all the way he wanted.

'Like _this_,' he said irritably. He seized his left ear and pulled. His whole head swung off his neck and fell on to his shoulder as if it was on a hinge. Someone had obviously tried to behead him, but not done it properly. Looking pleased at the stunned looks in their faces, Nearly Headless Nick flipped his head back on to his neck, coughed and said, 'So – new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the house championship this year? Gryffindor have never gone so long without winning. Slytherin have got the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable – he's the Slytherin ghost.'

Harry looked over at the Slytherin table and saw a horrible ghost sitting there, with blank staring eyes, a grunt face and robes stained with silver blood. He was right next to Malfoy who, Harry was pleased to see, didn't look too pleased with the seating arrangements.

'How did he get covered in blood?' asked Seamus with great interest.

'I've never asked,' said Nearly Headless Nick delicately.

'I bet by the time we finish Hogwarts we'll find out,' Arabella said to Harry and Ron quietly.

'How do you reckon that?' asked Ron.

'Too big of an opportunity to pass up on. It'll be fun,' replied Arabella with a smile, returning back to her food.

When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates leaving then sparling clean as before. A moment later the puddings appeared. Blocks of ice cream éclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, jelly, rice pudding…

As Harry helped himself to a treacle tart, the talk turned to their families.

'I'm half and half,' said Seamus. 'Me dad's a Muggle. Mam didn't tell him she was a witch 'til after they were married. Bit of a nasty shock for him.'

The others laughed.

'What about you, Neville?' said Ron.

'Well, my gran brought me up and she's a witch,' said Neville, 'but the family thought I was all Muggle for ages. My Great Uncle Algie kept trying to catch me off my guard and force some magic out of me – he pushed me off the end of Blackpool pier once, I nearly drowned – but nothing happened until I was eight. Great Uncle Algie came round for tea and he was hanging me out of an upstairs window by the ankles when my Great Auntie Enid offered him a meringue and he accidently let go. But I bounced - all the way down the garden and into the road. They were all really pleased, Gran was crying, she was so happy. And you should have seen their faces when I got here – they thought I might not be magic enough to come, you see. Great Uncle Algie was so pleased he bought me my toad.'

On Harry's other side, Percy Weasley and Hermione were talking about lessons ('I _do _hope they start straight away, there's so much to learn, I'm particularly interested in Transfiguration, you know, turning something into something else, of course, it's supposed to be very difficult – '; 'You'll be starting small, just matches into needles and that sort of thing –').

Harry turned to Arabella, who was looking around the hall with a smile on her face. He tapped her shoulders.

'Who's Sirius Black?'

Her smile was instantly off her face. 'Caught that have you?'

'There were only two times they whispered when someone was sorted. You don't have to tell me. Just curious,' he said, trying not to offend her.

Arabella looked down and sighed. 'Sirius Black is my father and he is in prison. He is only my father by blood, nothing more. He's a famous convict, that's why they were whispering.'

To say that Harry was surprised was an understatement. He was shocked and Arabella saw it on his face.

'Look, I'm not like him. I've never meet seen him. Uncle Remus told me about him when I was younger and showed me a picture when I asked. I will never be like him,' said Arabella, who was close to tears by the end of it.

Harry put his hand on her shoulder and offered her a small smile. 'I know.'

Arabella smiled back gratefully.

Harry looked up at the High Table again, as he was starting to feel warm and sleepy. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet. Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban, was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose and sallow skin.

It happened very suddenly. The hook-nosed teacher looked past Quirrell's turban straight into Harry's eyes – and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Harry's forehead.

'Ouch!' Harry clapped a hand to his head.

'What is it?' asked Percy.

'N-nothing.'

The pain had gone as quickly as it had come. Harder to shake off was the feeling Harry had got from the teacher's look – a feeling that he didn't like Harry at all.

'Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?' he asked Percy.

'Oh, you know Quirrell already, do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to – everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape.'

As Percy was telling him about Snape, Arabella started to rub her arms again with a sad look on her face. Harry watched Snape for a while but Snape didn't look at him again.

At last, the puddings too disappeared and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.

'Ahem – just a few more words now we are all fed and watered. I have a few start of term notices to give you.

'First should note that the forest in the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well.'

Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.

'I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classed in the corridors.

'Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.

'And finally, I must tell you that his year, the third floor corridor on the right-hand side of out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death.'

Harry laughed, but he was one of the few who did.

'He's not serious?' he muttered to Percy.

'Must be,' said Percy, frowning at Dumbledore. It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere – the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least.'

'And now, before we got to bed, let us sing the school song!' cried Dumbledore. Harry noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed.

Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick as if he was trying to get a fly off the end and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself snake-like into words.

'Everyone pick their favourite tune,' said Dumbledore, 'and off we go!'

And the school bellowed:

_'Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hogg Warty Hogwarts,_

_Teach us something please, _

_Whether we be old and bald_

_Or young with scabby knees, our heads could do with filling_

_With some interesting stuff,_

_For now they're bare and full of air,_

_Dead flies and bits of fluff,_

_So teach us things worth knowing, _

_Bring back what we've forgot,_

_Just do your best, we'll do the rest,_

_And learn until our brains all rot.'_

Everyone finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.

'Ah, music,' he said, wiping his eyes. 'A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!'

The Gryffindor first years followed Percy through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall and up the marble staircase. Harry's legs were like lead again, but only because he was so tired and full of food. He was too sleepy even to be surprised that the people in the portraits along the corridors whispered and pointed as they passed, or that twice Percy led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. They climbed more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet, and Harry was just wondering how much further they had to go when they came to a sudden halt.

A bundle of walking sticks was floating in mid-air ahead of them and as Percy took a step towards then they started throwing themselves at him.

'Peeves,' Percy whispered to the first years. 'A Poltergeist.' He raised his voice, 'Peeves – how yourself.'

A loud, rude sound, like the air being let of a balloon, answered.

'Do you want me to go to the Bloody Baron?'

There was a pop and a little man with wicked dark eyes and a wide mouth appeared, floating cross-legged in the air, clutching the walking sticks.

'Oooooooh!' he said, with an evil cackle. 'Ickle Firsties! What fun!'

He was swooped suddenly at them. They all ducked.

'Go away, Peeves, or the Baron'll hear about his, I mean it!' barked Percy.

Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Neville's head. They heard him zooming away, rattling coats of armour as he passed.

'You want to watch out for Peeves,' said Percy, as they set off again. 'The Bloody Baron's the only one who can control him, he won't even listen to us prefects. Here we are.'

At the very end of the corridor hung a portrait of a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.

'Password?' she said.

'Caput Draconis,' said Percy, and the portrait swung forward to revel a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled through it- Neville needed a leg up – and found themselves in the Gryffindor common-room, a cosy, round room full of squashy armchairs. Percy directed the girls through one door to their dormitory and the boys through another. At the top a spiral staircase – they were obviously in one of the towers – they found their beds at last: five four-posters hung with deep-red velvet curtains. Their trunks had already been brought up. Too tired to talk much, they pulled in their pyjamas and fell into bed.

'Great food, isn't it?' Ron muttered to Harry through the hangings. 'Get _off,_ Scabbers! He's chewing my sheets.'

Harry was going to ask Ron if he'd had any of the treacle tart, but he fell asleep almost at once.

Perhaps Harry had eaten a bit too much, because he had a very strange dream. He was wearing Professor Quirrell's turban, which kept talking to him, telling him he must transfer to Slytherin at once, because it was his destiny. Harry told the turban he didn't want to be in Slytherin; it got heavier and heavier; he tried to pull it off but it tightened painfully – and there was Malfoy, laughing at him as he struggled with it – then Malfoy turned into the hook-nosed teacher, Snape, whose laugh became high and cold – there was a burst of green light and Harry woke, sweating and shaking.

He rolled over and fell asleep again, and when he woke next day, he didn't remember the dream at all.

**Thank you for reading! Please review! :) **


	5. The Potions Master

**Hello! Here's the new chapter! Hope you like it! :)**

**disclaimer: I only own Arabella and anything that's not in the books. **

**Please review and tell me what you think :)**

The Potions Master

'There, look.'

'Where?'

'Next to the tall kid with the red hair.'

'Next to that girl with brown hair.'

'Did you see his face?'

'Did you see his scar?'

Whispers followed Harry for the moment he left his dormitory next day. People queuing outside the classrooms stood on tiptoe to get a look at him, or double back to pass him in the corridors again, staring. Harry wished they wouldn't, because he was trying to concentrate on finding his way to classes.

Harry, Ron and Arabella kept getting lost to all their classes. There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts, each one trickier than the next. Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely or tickle them in the right spot, and doors that didn't open at all, but solid walls just pretending, it was all very hard to remember, as everything kept moving around.

And once you managed to find the right door, there was the lessons themselves. There was a lot more to magic, as Harry quickly found out, than waving your wand and saying a few words.

They had to study the night skies through their telescopes every Wednesday at midnight and learn the names of different stars and the movements of the planets. Three times a week they went out to the greenhouses behind the castle to study Herbology, with a dumpy little witch called Professor Sprout, where they learnt how to take care if all the strange plants and fungi and found out what they are used for. Easily the most boring lesson was History of Magic, which was the only lesson thought by Professor Binns, a ghost. Binns droned on and on while they scribbled down names and dates. Twice Ron fell asleep, but Arabella, who as looked close to falling asleep, pulled on his ears to wake him up.

Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was a tiny little wizard who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk. At the start of their first lesson he took the register, and when her reached Arabella's name her he gave a little frightening squeak and continued on. When he reached Harry's, he gave an excited squeak and toppled out of sight.

Professor McGonagall was again different. Harry had been quite right to think she wasn't a teacher to cross. Strict and clever, she gave them a talking moment they had sat down in her first class.

'Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts,' she said. 'Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned.'

Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again. They were all very impressed and couldn't wait to get started, but soon realised that they wouldn't be turning furniture into animals anytime soon. After making some complicated note, they were each given matched that they were supposed to turn into needles. By the end of the lesson, Hermione Granger and Arabella were the only ones that managed to turn their matches into needles. Professor McGonagall showed the class how their needles turned out and gave them a rare McGonagall smile.

The class that had everyone really looking forward was Defence Against the Dark Arts, but Quirrell's lesson turned out to be a joke. His classroom smelled strongly of garlic, which he said would ward off a vampire he met in Romania, who he was afraid would come back and get him one of these days. He told them that his turban was a gift by an African prince for getting rid of some zombie from their village. When Seamus Finnigan asked how he fought off the zombies, Quirrell went pink and started talking about the weather.

Harry was very relieved to find out that he wasn't miles behind everyone else. Lots of people had come from Muggle families and, like him, hadn't had any idea that they were witches and wizards. There was so much to learn that even people like Ron didn't have much of a head start.

Friday was an important day for Harry, Ron and Arabella. They finally managed to find their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast without getting lost once. Arabella suggested that they celebrate with bacon for their accomplishment.

'What do we have today' Harry asked Ron and Arabella as he poured sugar on his porridge.

'Double potions with the Slytherins,' said Ron. 'Snape's Head of Slytherin House. They say he always favours them – we'll be able to see if it's true.'

'I hope not. Potions sound interesting. And after the lesson with Quirrell, we need a teacher who isn't going to be a git during our lessons,' said Arabella, with a plate full of bacon. She was disappointed about how the Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson went, which was the subject she was most looking forward it.

'Wish McGonagall favoured us,' said Harry. Professor McGonagall was head of Gryffindor House, but it hadn't stopped her giving them a huge pile of homework the day before.

Just then, the posts arrived. Harry had got used to this by now, but it had given him a bit of a shock on the first morning, when about a hundred owls had suddenly steamed into the Great Hall during breakfast, circling the tables until they saw their owners and dropping letters and packages in to their pals.

Hedwig hadn't brought Harry anything so far. She sometimes flew in to nibble his ear and have a bit of toast before going off to sleep in the owlery with the other school owls. This morning, however, she fluttered down between the marmalade and the sugar bowl and dropped off a note on to Harry's plate. Harry tore it open at once.

_Dear Harry, _it said, in a very untidy scrawl,

_I know you get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three? I want to hear all about your first week. Send us an answer back with Hedwig._

_Hagrid_

Harry borrowed Ron's quill, scribbled 'Harry borrowed Ron's quill, scribbled '_Yes, please, see you later'_ on the back of the note and sent Hedwig off again.

It lucky that Harry had tea with Hagrid to look forward to, because the Potions lesson turned out to be the worst thing that had happened to him so far. At the start of the term banquet, Harry got the impression that Professor Snape disliked him. By the end of the first lesson, he was wrong – Snape _hated_ him, but seemed to _loathe _Arabella more.

Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls.

Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the register.

'Black, Arabella,' said Snape with disgust in his voice. 'Probably turn out like her father.'

Some of the Slytherins snorted while Harry saw Arabella clutch her fist and glare daggers at Snape as he returned to taking the register. He paused at Harry's name.

'Ah, yes,' he said softly, 'Harry Potter. Out new – _celebrity._'

Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands. Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were black like Hagrid's but they had none of Hagrid's warmth. They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels.

'You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potions making,' he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word – like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. 'As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power if liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses… I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death – if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach.'

More silence followed this little speech. Harry and Ron exchanged looks with raised eyebrows. Harry saw Arabella still glaring at Snape for his earlier comment about her father. Hermione Granger was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead.

'Potter!' said Snape suddenly. 'What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?'

_Powdered root of what to an infusion of what? _Harry glanced at Ron, who looked as stumped as he was; Hermione's hand had shot into the air. Harry saw that Arabella had also raised her hand, but it was barely above her head.

'I don't know, sir,' said Harry.

Snape's lips curled into a sneer.

'Tut, tut – fame clearly isn't everything.'

He ignored Arabella and Hermione's hands.

'Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?'

Arabella's hands raised a little bit more, while Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her set. Harry didn't have the faintest idea what a bezoar was. He tried bot to look at Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle, who was shaking with laughter.

'I don't know, sir.'

'Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?'

Harry forced himself to keep looking straight into those cold eyes. He _had _looked through his books at the Dursleys', but did Snape expect him to remember everything in _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_?

Snape was still ignoring Arabella and Hermione's hand.

'What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?'

At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching towards the dungeon ceiling. Arabella's hand raised some more above her head, but she was still sitting down.

'I don't know,' said Harry quietly. 'I think Arabella and Hermione do know, why don't ask them'

A few people laughed; Harry caught Seamus's eye and Seamus winked. Snape, however, was not pleased.

'Sit down,' he snapped at Hermione. He turned to Arabella, 'Black!'

Arabella put her hand down and looked at him when he shouted.

'Let's see if you are useless as your father. What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?'

'Draught of the Living Dead, _sir_,' replied Arabella, saying the last word sarcastically.

'Hm. Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?'

'Stomach of a goat.'

'What is the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?'

'Nothing, they are the same plant.'

Snape looked a bit stunned, but soon covered it up with a sneer. He looked around the class.

'Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?'

There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Snape said, 'And a point will be taken from Gryffindor House for your cheek, Potter.'

This seemed to be the last straw for Arabella, as she suddenly leaped to her feet.

'But sir! Harry didn't do anything wrong! You should have asked one of the other students like Hermione or me, who actually knew the answer, instead of picking on someone!'

Silence fell in the classroom as everyone was either looking at Arabella in wonderment or at Snape to see his reaction.

'20 point from Gryffindor. Black sit down before it becomes 50. If you ever speak about my teaching methods in my class again, I will make sure that you will be on the train back home faster than you can say 'Wolfsbane'. Got it?' said Snape in a low dangerous voice, looking furiously at Arabella.

Arabella sat down, but was still glaring at Snape. The whole class returned back to scribbling on their parchments, not wanting to be picked on by Snape.

Things didn't improve for the Gryffindors as the Potions lesson continued. Snape put them all into pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticising almost everyone except Malfoy, whom he seemed to like. Neville seemed to melt Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes on people's shoes. Within seconds, the whole class were standing on their stools while Neville moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.

'Idiot boy!' snarled Snape, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. 'I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?'

Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose.

'Take him up to the hospital wing,' Snape spat at Seamus. Then he rounded on Harry, Ron and Arabella, who was working alone. Their table was right next to Neville.

'You – Potter – why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor.'

Arabella started to open her mouth to argue back at him but Ron elbowed her.

'Don't push it,' he muttered he told her and Harry. 'I've heard Snape can turn very nasty.'

Arabella scowled, but returned back to her potion.

As they climbed the steps out of the dungeon an hour later, Harry's mind was racing and his spirits were low. He'd lost two points for Gryffindor on his first week. Granted it wasn't as much as Arabella. _Why _did Snape hate them two so much?

'Cheer up,' said Ron as he saw Harry's sad face. 'Snape's always taking points off Fred and George.'

He turned to Arabella. 'Are you ok? You look like you're ready to punch someone.'

Harry turned looked at Arabella's furious face.

'I am! How dare he! Saying that I would turn out like my father! Like I have a say in whom I'm related to!'

Harry and Ron looked to each other. They both knew about Arabella's father, as Harry told Ron about it in the morning after the welcoming ceremony. Ron was surprised to hear about it, but didn't treat her any differently as they met up with her in the common room.

'And Harry!' said Arabella, rounding to Harry. 'Don't let him pick on you like that! What kind of a teacher does that!'

She stopped walking and took a couple of steady breaths.

'Better?' asked Ron.

'Yeah. It's just, Christ; I lost 20 points in one lesson! Must be some new record or something,' said Arabella, running her hand through her hair.

'Don't worry about it. People will mostly remember that you're the first one that has stood up to Snape in a really long time. Students are dead scared of him,' said Ron, trying to cheer her up. He turned to Harry, 'Can we come and meet Hagrid with you?'

At five to three they left the castle and made their way across the grounds. Hagrid lived in a small wooden house on the edge of the forbidden forest. A crossbow and a pair of galoshes were outside the front door.

When Harry knocked they heard a frantic scrabbling from inside and several booming barks. Then Hagrid's voice rang out, saying, '_Back, _Fang – _back.'_

Hagrid's big hairy face appeared in the crack as he pulled the door open.

'Hang on,' he said. '_Back, _Fang.'

He let them in, struggling to keep a hold on the collar of an enormous black boarhound.

'Make yerselves at home,' said Hagrid, letting go of Fang, who bounded straight at Ron and started licking his ears, as Arabella started to laugh behind her hand.

'This is Ron and Arabella,' Harry told Hagrid, who was pouring boiling water into a large teapot and putting rock cakes in to a plate.

'Another Weasley, eh?' said Hagrid, glancing at Ron's freckles. 'I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the forest.'

He turned to Arabella. 'Yer Kassandra's kid, right?'

Arabella was startled at hearing her mother's name, but nodded. Harry guessed that it was first time she was call something other than Sirius Black's daughter.

'Yeah, yer look like her. But father's eyes. She was a good girl. Sorry to hear about her.'

Arabella gave him a small smile in return and sipped her tea.

The rock cakes almost broke their teeth, but Harry, Ron and Arabella pretended to be enjoying then as they told Hagrid all about their first lessons. Fang rested his head on Harry's knee and drooled all over his robes.

They were delighted to hear Hagrid call Filch 'that old git.'

Harry and Arabella told Hagrid about Snape's lesson. Hagrid, like Ron, told them not to worry about it, that Snape hardly like any of the student.

'But he seemed to really _hate _us Hagrid! He took away 20 points because I stood up for Harry!' said Arabella, absentmindedly eating more of the rock cakes.

'Rubbish!' said Hagrid. 'Why should he hate the two of yer?'

Yet Harry couldn't help thinking that Hagrid didn't quite meet Arabella's eyes when he said that.

'How's yer brother Charlie?' Hagrid asked Ron. 'I liked him a lot – great with animals'

Harry wondered if Hagrid changed the subject on purpose. While Ron told Hagrid all about Charlie's work with dragons, Harry picked up a piece of paper that was lying on the table under the tea cosy. Arabella was looking over his shoulders as he read what was from the _Daily Prophet_:

_GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST _

_Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on 31 July, widely believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown. _

_Gringotts' goblins today insisted that nothing had been taken. The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied that same day. _

_'But we're not tell you what was in there, so keep your noses out of it if you know what's good for you,' said a Gringotts' spokesgoblin this afternoon. _

'Hagrid!' said Harry. 'That Gringotts break-in happened in my birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!'

Hargrid didn't meet Harry's eyes. He grunted and offered him another rock cake. Harry read the story again. _The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied that same day. _Hagrid had emptied vault seven hundred and thirteen, if you could call it emptying, taking something out the grubby little package. Had that been what the thieves were looking for?

As Harry, Ron and Arabella walked back to the castle for dinner, their pockets weighing down with rock cakes they'd been too polite to refuse, Harry thought that none of the lessons he'd had so far had given him as much to think about as tea with Hagrid. Had Hagrid collected that package just in time? Where was it now? And did Hagrid know something about Snape that he didn't want to tell Harry and Arabella?

**Thanks for reading! Tell me what you think about Arabella and Snape. I tried my best with the two of them.**


	6. The Midnight Duel

**Hello! Here's the new chapter. Sorry if it's a bit late. Exams going on. Hope you like it. **

**disclaimer: whatever you don't recognize, it's mine. **

**Enjoy! Please review and tell me what you think :)**

The Midnight Duel

Harry had never believed that he would meet a boy he hated more than Dudley, but that was before he met Draco Malfoy. Still, first year Gryffindors only had Potions with the Slytherins, so they didn't have to put up with Malfoy much. Or at least, they didn't until they spotted a notice pinned up in the Gryffindor common-room which made them all, except for Arabella, groan. Flying lessons would be starting on Thursday – and Gryffindor and Slytherins would be learning together.

'Typical,' said Harry darkly. 'Just what I always wanted. To make a fool of myself on a broomstick in front of Malfoy.'

He had been looking forward to learning to fly more than anything else.

'You don't know you'll make a fool of yourself,' said Ron reasonably.

Arabella, who looked excited at the idea of flying, was jumping up and down. 'Anyways, Malfoy always goes on and on about how great he is at Quidditch. It's probably all talk.'

Malfoy did certainly talk about flying a lot. He complained loudly about the fact that first years aren't allowed to get on the house Quidditch teams. He also told anyone who was listened about how escaped Muggles that were in helicopters. He wasn't the only one who though; Seamus told people that he spent most of his childhood zooming around in his broomstick. Everyone from wizarding families talked about Quidditch constantly. Even Arabella told some stories about flying with her cousin and how they would have little matched between each other.

Neville had never been on a broomstick before in his life, because his grandmother had never let him near one. Privately, Harry felt that she had good reason, because Neville managed to have extraordinary number of accidents even with his own two feet on the ground. Hermione Granger, who was almost as nervous as flying, was trying to learn everything off of a book. She told everyone about all these stupid tips with flying she'd got out of a library book called _Quidditch through the Ages._ Neville was hanging on to her every word, desperate for anything that could help him, but was interrupted by the arrival of the post.

Harry hadn't had a single letter since Hagrid's note, something that Malfoy had been quick to notice, of course.

A barn owl brought Neville a small package from his grandmother. He opened it excitedly and showed them a glass ball the size of a large marble, which seemed to be full of white smoke.

'It's a Remembrall!' he explained. 'Grans knows I forget things – this tells you if there's something you've forgotten to do. Look you hold it tight like this and of it turns red – oh…' His face fell because the Remembrall had suddenly glowed scarlet, '… you've forgotten something…'

Neville was trying to remember what he'd forgotten when Draco Malfoy, who was passing the Gryffindor table, snatched the Remembrall out of his hand.

Harry and Ron jumped to their feet, but Arabella spoke.

'Hello Professor McGonagall. Nice day isn't it?' she said rather loudly, drawing attention to Professor McGonagall, who could spot trouble quicker than any other teacher in the school.

'Perfect day Miss Black. What's going on?'

'Malfoy's got my Remembrall ball, Professor,' said Neville.

Scowling, Malfoy quickly dropped the Remembrall back on the table.

'Just looking,' he said, and he sloped away with Crabbe and Goyle behind him.

* * *

At three-thirty that afternoon, Harry, Ron, Arabella and the other Gryffindors hurried down the front steps into the grounds for their first flying lesson. The Slytherins were already there, and so were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. Harry had heard Fred and George Weasley complain about the school brooms, saying that some of them started to vibrate if you flew too high, or always flew slightly to the left.

Their teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had short, grey hair and yellow eyes like a hawk.

'Well, what are you waiting for?' she barked. 'Everyone stand by a broomstick. Come on, hurry up.'

Harry glanced down at his broom, it was old and some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles.

'Stick out your right hand over your broom and say 'Up!'' called Madam Hooch at the front.

'UP!' everyone shouted.

Harry's broom jumped into his hand at once, but it was one of the few that did. He looked around and saw how the other students did. Ron took some time, but the broom managed to go to his hand. Arabella, like him, also jumped to her hand the first time. Hermione Granger's had simply rolled over on the ground and Neville's hadn't moved at all.

Madam Hooch then showed then how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips. Harry and Ron were delighted when she told Malfoy he'd been doing it wrong for years.

'Told you,' Harry looked over at Arabella, who had a smirk on her face. 'Malfoy's all talk.'

'Now, when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground, hard,' said Madam Hooch. 'Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet and then come straight back down by leaning forwards slightly. On my whistle – three – two – '

But Neville pushed off hard before the whistle had touched Madam Hooch's lips.

'Come back, boy!' she shouted, but Neville was rising straight up like a cork shot out of a bottle – twelve feet – twenty feet. Harry saw his scared white face look down at the ground falling away, saw him gasp, slip sideways off the broom and –

WHAM – a thud and a nasty crack and Neville lay face down on the grass in a heap.

Madam Hooch was bending over Neville, her face as white as his.

'Broken wrist,' Harry heard her mutter. 'Come on, boy – it's all right, up you get.'

She turned to the rest of the class.

'None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch'. Come on, dead.'

No sooner were they out of earshot than Malfoy burst into laughter.

'Did you see his face, the great lump?'

The other Slytherins joined in.

'Shut up, Malfoy,' snapped Arabella.

'Sticking up for Longbottom are you Black? What are you going to do if I don't? Run to daddy? And I thought the Black family could sink no lower' sneered Malfoy.

Ron, Seamus and Dean had to hold Arabella as she made her way to Malfoy with her hands in a fist. For someone that was small, she was pretty strong. Harry wished that they would let her go, Malfoy need a good punch.

'Look!' said Malfoy, darting forward and snatching something out of the grass. 'It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him.'

The Remembrall glittered in the sun as he held it up.

'Give it here, Malfoy,' said Harry quietly. Everyone stopped talking to watch.

Malfoy smiled nastily.

'I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to collect – how about – up a tree?'

'Give it _here_!' Harry yelled, but Malfoy had leapt on to his broomstick and taken off. Arabella was wrong, it wasn't all talk. He _could _fly wee – hovering level with the topmost branched of an oak he called, 'Come and get it, Potter!'

Harry grabbed his broom.

'_No!'_ shouted Hermione Granger. 'Madam hooch told us not to move – you'll get us all into trouble.'

'Don't listen to her Harry. Knock Malfoy of his broom,' called out Arabella, looking at Malfoy with deep hatred.

'_No! _Are you mad? You shouldn't be encouraging this!' said Hermione, looking mad at Arabella.

Arabella turned towards Hermione, with less hatred directed towards her. 'There are things more important than rules Hermione.'

Harry agreed with her. This was more important than some rule. This was for Neville, who couldn't defend himself. This was for Arabella, who didn't deserve to be hated because of her father. He mounted the broom and kicked hard against the ground and up, up he soared, air rushed through his hair and his robes whipped out behind him – and in a rush of fierce joy he realised he'd found something he could do without being taught –this was easy, this was _wonderful. _He pulled his broomstick up a little to take it even higher and heard screams and gasps of girls back on the ground. He even heard an admiring whoop from Ron and whistles from Arabella.

He turned his broomstick sharply to face Malfoy in mid-air. Malfoy looked stunned.

'Give it here,' Harry called, 'or I'll knock you off that broom!'

'Oh, yeah?' said Malfoy, trying to sneer, but looking worried.

'No Crabbe and Goyle up here to save your neck, Malfoy,' Harry called.

The same thought seemed to have struck Malfoy.

'Catch it if you can, then!' he shouted, and he threw the glass ball high into the air and streaked back towards the ground.

Harry saw the ball rise up in the air and then start to fall. He leant forward and pointed his broom handle down – next second he was gathering speed in a steep dive, racing the ball – he stretched out his hand, a foot from the ground he caught it, just in time to pull his broom straight, and he toppled gently on to the grass with the Remembrall clutched safely in his fist.

'HARRY POTTER!'

His heart sank faster than he'd just dived. Professor McGonagall was running towards them. He got to his feet, trembling.

'_Never _– in all my time at Hogwarts –'

Professor McGonagall was almost speechless with shock, and her glasses flashed furiously, '– how _dare _you – might have broken your neck –'

'But Professor, it wasn't his – '

'Not now Miss Black – '

'But Malfoy – '

'That's _enough, _Mr Weasley. Potter, follow me, now.'

Harry caught sight of Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle's triumphant faces as he left, walking numbly in Professor McGonagall's wake as she strode towards the castle. He was going to get expelled, he just knew it. Professor McGonagall stopped outside a classroom. She opened the door and poked her head inside.

'Excuse me, Professor Flitwick, could I borrow Wood for a moment?'

'Wood?' thought Harry, bewildered; was Wood a cane she was going to use in him?

But Wood turned out to be a person, a burly fifth year boy who came out of Flitwick's class looking confused.

'Follow me, you two,' said Professor McGonagall, and they marched on up the corridor, Wood looking curiously at Harry.

'In here.'

Professor McGonagall closed the door behind them and turned to face the two boys.

'Potter, this is Oliver Wood. Wood – I've found you a Seeker.'

* * *

'You're _joking._'

It was dinner time. Harry had just finished telling Arabella and Ron about what happened when he'd left the grounds with Professor McGonagall. Arabella was grinning with excitement while Ron had a forgotten piece if steak and kidney pie halfway through his mouth.

'_Seeker_?' he said. 'But first years _never _– you must be the youngest house player in about – '

'– a century,' said Harry, shovelling pie into his mouth. He felt particularly hungry after the excitement of the afternoon. 'Wood told me.'

Ron was so amazed, so impressed; he just sat and gaped at Harry. Arabella was chuckling at Ron. She was also impressed at Harry, but at least managed to eat her pie piece.

'So when do you start training?' she asked, excited at the thought of Quidditch.

'Next week,' said Harry, 'Only don't tell anyone, Wood wants to keep it a secret.'

'Harry, this is Hogwarts. There are no secrets in this place,' she replied with a smirk. 'People will probably find out by next week.'

Fred and George Weasley now came into the hall, spotted Harry and hurried over.

'Well done,' said George in a low voice. 'Wood told us. We're on the team too – Beaters.'

'How are the Chasers?' Arabella asked quickly at George. Harry remembered her telling him that she wanted to try out for the team in a couple of years.

George hesitated. He seemed to be uncomfortable near her. Harry noticed that some people, besides George, are still uncertain about her. He heard a couple people in the corridors saying that she's going to be just like her father. Harry didn't say anything to her about it and she didn't look like it bothered her.

'They're good. Why? Thinking about joining the team?' asked George, pretending not to be uncomfortable.

'Probably in a couple of years. Maybe fourth or fifth year,' said Arabella, looking at George with a sad look. Harry thought that she probably noticed how George hesitated.

'Anyway, you must be brilliant Harry. Wood was almost skipping when he told us. We haven't won since Charlie left, this is going to be our year.'

'Fred, we have to go. Lee reckons he'd found a new secret passage way out of the school.'

'Bet it's that one behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy that we found in our first week. See you.'

Fred and George had hardly disappeared when someone far less welcome turned up: Malfoy, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle.

'Having a last meal, Potter? When are you getting the train back to the Muggles?'

'You're a lot braver now you're back on the ground and you've got your little friends with you,' said Harry coolly. There was of course nothing at all little about Crabbe and Goyle, but as the High Table was full of teachers, neither of them could do more than crack their knuckles and scowl.

'I'd take you on any time on my own,' said Malfoy. 'Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only – no contact. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before, I suppose?'

'Of course he had,' said Ron, wheeling round. 'I'm his second, Arabella third. Who's yours?'

Malfoy looked at Crabbe and Goyle, sizing them up. Arabella looked like she wanted to give Ron a piece of her mind.

'Crabbe, then Goyle,' he said. 'Midnight all right? We'll meet you in the trophy room, that's always unlocked.'

When Malfoy was gone, Arabella rounded to Ron.

'What the hell were you thinking?! A wizard's duel?! We know nothing about dueling! And accepting a duel from Malfoy?! Have you gone mental?!'

'Hey! He was the one who challenged! I just agreed,' saying the last part in a small voice as Arabella's face kept getting angrier.

'What _is _a wizard's duel?' said Harry. Trying to redirect Arabella's fury away from Ron. 'And what do you mean by you two being my second and third?'

Arabella cooled down before replying. 'A second takes over if you were to die. A third takes over if the second dies.'

Ron looks at Harry's face as she said this. 'People only die in proper duels, you know, with real wizards. The most you and Malfoy'll be able to do is send sparks at each other. Neither of you knows enough magic to do any real damage. I bet he expected you to refuse, anyway.'

'And what if I wave my wand and nothing happened?'

'Throw it away and punch him on the nose,' Ron suggested. Arabella looked excited at that idea.

'Excuse me.'

They looked up. It was Hermione Granger.

'Can't a person eat in peace in this place?' said Ron.

Arabella elbowed him, as Hermione spoke to Harry.

'I couldn't help overhearing what you and Malfoy were saying – '

'Bet you couldn't,' Ron muttered, as Arabella hit his head.

' – and you _mustn't _go wandering around the school at night, think of the points you'll lose Gryffindor if you're caught, and you're bound to be. It's really selfish of you'

'Selfish? We're not _looking_ for trouble,' said Arabella, her eyebrows raised up at Hermione.

'It's really none of your business,' said Harry.

'Goodbye,' said Ron.

* * *

At half-past eleven, Harry and Ron met Arabella, who was wearing a long-sleeve blue dress gown, in the common-room. They almost reached the portrait hole when a voice spoke from the chair nearest them: 'I can't believe you're going to do this, Harry.'

A lamp flickered on. It was Hermione Granger, wearing a pink dressing-gown and a frown.

'_You!_' said Ron furiously. 'Go back to bed1'

'I almost told your brother,' Hermione snapped. 'Percy – he's a prefect, he'd put a stop to this.'

Harry couldn't believe anyone could be so interfering.

'Hermione, please go back to bed, this doesn't concern you,' said Arabella in calm voice.

'How can you agree to this? You'll all get into trouble!' said Hermione, hands on her hips.

'I am agreeing to this to make sure that these two,' pointing at the boys, 'will be alright. If by some miracle Malfoy shows up, he'll fight dirty. I know some spells that'll stop him.'

'So you're going to hex him are you? You can't! You'll turn into your father!' Hermione widened her eyes after saying the last part. Harry and Ron looked at her with wide eyes. 'I'm sorry – I didn't – '

'But you did. Let's go Harry,' Arabella turned from Hermione with tears in her eyes. She pushed open the portrait of the Fat Lady and climbed through the hole. Harry and Ron following closely behind her, unsure of what to say after that.

Hermione wasn't giving up on them that easily. She followed them, trying to think of something else to convince them, without hurting Arabella's feelings.

'Don't you _care _about Gryffindor, do you _only _care about yourselves, _I _don't want Slytherin to win the house cup and you'll lose all the points I got from Professor McGonagall for knowing about Switching Spells.'

'Go away,' said Ron. 'Haven't you done enough damage?'

'All right, but I warned you, you just remember what I said when you're on the train home tomorrow, you're so –'

But what they were, they didn't find out. Hermione had turned to the portrait of the Fat Lady to get back inside and found herself facing an empty painting. The Fat Lady had gone on a night-time visit and Hermione was locked out of Gryffindor tower.'

'Where is she?' she asked with panic I her voice.

'She sometimes visits Violet, the other portrait, and drinks some wine with her,' said Arabella. The others gave her a questioning look. 'Uncle Remus told me.'

'What am I going to do?' she asked shrilly.

'That's not our problem,' said Ron. 'We've got to go; we're going to be late.'

They hadn't even reached the end of the corridor when Hermione caught up with them

'I'm coming with you,' she said.

'You are _not._'

'D'you think I'm going to stand out here and wait for Filch to catch me? If he finds all four of us I'll tell him the truth, this I was trying to stop you and you can back me up.'

'You've got some nerve – 'said Ron loudly.

'Shut up, both of you!' said Harry sharply.

'Someone's coming,' said Arabella, looking around them for any signs of movement. There was a sort of snuffling.

'Mrs Norris?' breathed Ron, squinting through the dark.

It wasn't Mrs Norris. It was Neville. He was curled up on the floor, fast asleep, but jerked suddenly awake as they crept nearer.

'Thank goodness you found me! I've been out here for hours. I couldn't remember the new password to get in to bed.'

'Keep your voice down, Neville. The password's "Pig snout" but it won't help you now, the Fat Lady's gone off to Violet, another portrait.'

'How's your arm?' said Harry.

'Fine,' said Neville, showing them. 'Madam Pomfrey mended it in about a minute.'

'Good – well, look, Neville, we've got to be somewhere, we'll see you later – '

'Don't leave me!' said Neville, scrambling to his feet. 'I don't want to stay alone, the Bloody Baron's been past twice already.'

'For Merlin's sake! This is not a field trip!' said Arabella, furiously. She looked at the watch on Ron's arm and turned to Hermione and Neville.

'Both of you are coming with us. If either one of you gets caught, I'll personally hex you both, got it?'

Hermione opened her mouth, probably to tell her about how it was against the rules to hex people, but Harry hissed at her to be quiet and beckoned them all forward.

The flitted along corridor striped with bars of moonlight for the high windows. At every turn Harry expected to run into Filch or Mrs Norris, but they were lucky. Neville was walking beside Harry and Ron, while Arabella was walking with Hermione behind them.

'Look,' Hermione said awkwardly towards Arabella, 'what I said back at the common-room, I didn't – '

'_You didn't mean_?' said Arabella stopping, rounding at Hermione. The boys stopped and turned around. 'Hermione, we both know that you meant it. I hear all the whisper in the corridors when people see me. 'A Black in Gryffindor?', 'Friends with Potter?' I hear it all Hermione. They all say I'm going to end up like him. It's nothing I haven't heard before.'

'But I'm –'

'You're sorry. I get it. Let's just move on. Ok?' said Arabella. Not waiting for the answer, she marched towards the trophy room.

Harry, Ron and Neville were looking at Hermione with different reactions. Harry looked mad, Ron looked furious (mostly because it was Hermione), while Neville looked confused.

'I didn't –'started Hermione.

'Leave it. Let's just go,' said Harry, following Arabella with Ron beside him. Neville seemed to walk beside Hermione, giving her some company.

They reached trophy room, while Harry and Arabella took out their wands just in case Malfoy leapt in and started at once. The minutes crept by.

'He's late, maybe he'd chickened out,' Ron whispered.

Then a noise in the next room made them jump. Harry and Arabella only just raised his wand when they heard someone speak – and it wasn't Malfoy.

'Sniff around, my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner.'

It was Filch speaking to Mrs Norris. Horror-struck, Harry waved madly at the others to follow him as quickly as possible; they scurried silently towards the door away from Filch's voice. Neville's robes had barely whipped round the corner when they heard Filch enter the trophy room.

'They're in here somewhere,' they heard him mutter, 'probably hiding.'

'This way!' Harry mouthed to the others and, petrified, they began to creep down a long gallery full of suits of armour. They could hear filch getting nearer. Neville suddenly let out a frightened squeak and broke into a run – he tripped, grabbed Ron around the waist and the pair of them toppled right into a suit of armour.

The clanging and crashing were enough to wake the whole castle.

'RUN!' Harry yelled and the five of them sprinted down the gallery, not looking back to see whether Filch was following – they swung around the doorpost and galloped down one corridor then another, Harry in the lead without any idea where they were or where they were going. They ripped through a tapestry and found themselves in a hidden passageway, hurtled along it and came out near their Charms classroom, which they knew was miles away from the trophy room.

'I think we've lost him,' panted Harry, leaning against the door. Neville was bent over, wheezing and spluttering. Arabella was trying to catch her breath while holding on to her stomach.

'I – _told –_ you,' Hermione gasped, clutching at the stitch in her chest. 'I – _told –_ you.'

'We've got to get back to the Gryffindor tower,' said Ron, 'quickly as possible.'

'Malfoy tricked you,' Hermione said to Harry. 'You realise that don't you?'

'Of course we realised that,' snapped Arabella. 'He never showed up and Filch did.'

'I'm just saying – '

'We know,' said Arabella, through her teeth.

Harry knew that Hermione was right about Malfoy, but wasn't going to tell her.

'Let's go'

It wasn't going to be that sample. They hadn't gone more than a dozen paces when a doorknob rattled and something came shooting out of a classroom in front of them.

It was Peeves. He caught sight of them and gave a squeal of delight.

'Shut up, Peeves – please – you'll get us thrown out.'

Peeves cackled.

'Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties? Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, naughty, you'll get caught.'

'Peeves, please, don't give us away,' said Arabella in a pleading voice.

'Should tell Filch, I should,' said Peeves in a saintly voice, but his eyes glittered wickedly. 'It's for your own good, you know.'

'Get out of the way,' snapped Ron, taking a swipe at Peeves – that was a big mistake.

'STUDENTS OUT OF BED!' Peeves bellowed. 'STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!'

Ducking under Peeves they ran for their live, right to the end of the corridor where they slammed into a door – and it was locked.

'This is it!' Ron moaned, as they pushed helplessly at the door. 'We're done for! This is the end1'

They could hear footsteps, Filch running as fast as he could towards Peeves' shouts.

'Oh, move over,' Hermione snarled. She grabbed Arabella's wand, tapped the lock and whispered, '_Alohomora!_'

The lock clicked and the door swung open – they piled through it, shut it quickly and pressed their ears against it, listening.

'Which way did they go, Peeves? Quick, tell me,' said Filch.

'Say "please".'

'Don't mess around, _where did they go?_'

'Shan't say nothing if you don't say please,' said Peeves in his annoying sing-song voice.

'All right – _please_.'

'NOTHING! Ha haaa! Told you I wouldn't say nothing if you didn't say please! Ha ha! Haaaaaa!' And they heard the sound of Peeves whooshing away and Filch cursing in rage.

'He thinks this door is locked,' Harry whispered. 'I think we'll be Ok – get _off,_ Neville!' For Neville had been tugging on the sleeve of Harry's dressing gown for the last minute.

'Um, guys. You might want to turn around,' said Arabella in a small terrified voice.

Harry turned around – and saw, quite clearly what she was talking about. For a moment, he was sure he'd walked into a nightmare – this was too much, on top of everything that had happened so far. They weren't in a room, as he had supposed. They were in a corridor. The forbidden corridor on the third floor. And now they knew why it was forbidden.

They were looking straight into the eyes of a monstrous dog, a dog filled the whole space between ceiling and floor. It had three heads. Three pairs of rolling, mad eyes; three noses, twitching and quivering in their direction; three drooling mouths, saliva hanging in slippery ropes from yellowing fangs.

It was standing quite still. All six staring at them, and Harry knew that the only reason they weren't already dead was that their sudden appearance had taken it by surprise, but it was quickly getting over that, there was no mistaking what those thunderous growls meant.

Harry groped for the doorknob – between Filch and death, he'd take Filch.

They fell backwards – harry slammed the door shut, and they ran, they almost flew, back the corridor. Filch must have hurried off to look for them somewhere else because they didn't see him anywhere, but they hardly cared – all they wanted to do was put as much space a possible between them and that monster. They didn't stop running until they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady on the seventh floor.

'Where on earth have you all been?' she asked, looking at their dressing-gowns hanging off their shoulders and their flushed, sweaty faces.

'Never mind that – pig snout, pig snout,' panted Harry, and the portrait swung forward. They scrambled into the common-room and collapsed, trembling into armchairs.

It was a while before any of them said anything. Neville, indeed, looked as though he'd never speak again.

'What do they think they're doing, keeping a thing like that locked up in a school?' Ron finally. 'If any dog needs exercise, that one does.'

Hermione got both her breath and bad temper back again.

'You don't use your eyes, any of you, do you?' she snapped. 'Didn't you see what it was standing on?'

'It had three heads! I wasn't looking at the floor!' said Arabella, matching Hermione's voice.

'No, _not _the floor. It was standing on a trapdoor. It's obviously guarding something.'

She stood up, glaring at them.

'I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could all have been killed – or worse, expelled. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed.'

Ron and Arabella stared after her.

'In what universe is getting expelled worse than being killed?' said Arabella with her mouth open.

'You'd think we dragged her along, wouldn't you?' said Ron, sounding annoyed at Hermione.

But Hermione had given harry something else to think about as he climbed back to bed. The dog was guarding something … What had Hagrid said? Gringotts was the safest place in the world for something you wanted to hide – except Hogwarts.

It looked as though Harry had found out where the grubby little package from vault seven hundred and thirteen was.

**Thank you for reading! Tell me what you think about Arabella and Hermione. They don't have the best relationship in the world, just yet. I tried my best with the two of them. **


	7. Halloween

**disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, please don't report me or anything :(**

**Enjoy! Please review :)**

Halloween

'It's either really valuable or really dangerous,' said Ron.

'Or powerful,' said Arabella.

'Or all three,' said Harry.

They were at the breakfast table the next morning. Harry was filling them about what seemed to be in the package that was moved from Gringotts to Hogwarts.

'But the thing is, why Hogwarts? Gringotts is protected by goblins. You never mess with goblins,' said Arabella.

'No idea. Maybe it's a favour by one of the Professors or something,' said Harry.

Neither Hermione nor Neville showed the slightest interest in what was underneath the dog and the trapdoor. All Neville cared about was never going near the dog again.

Hermione was refusing to speak to Harry, Ron and Arabella, but since she was a bossy know-it-all, they saw this as an extra bonus.

'How's Hermione in the girl dormitory? Does she talk to you at all?' Ron asked Arabella.

'She doesn't really talk to me or our other roommates. She does give me some looks sometimes, like she expects _me _to start talking. As if,' replied Arabella, who was still mad at Hermione for her comments during their adventure.

As the owls flooded into the Great Hall as usual, everyone's attention was caught by a long thin package that was carried by six owls. Harry was just as interested as everyone else as to what was in it. He amazed that it was dropped right in front of him. He ripped open the letter first, which was lucky, because it said:

_DO NOT OPEN THIS PARCEL AT THE TABLE. It contains your new Nimbus Two Thousand, but I don't want everyone knowing you've got a broomstick or they'll all want one. Oliver Wood will meet you tonight on the Quidditch pitch at seven o'clock for your first training session. Professor McGonagall._

Harry had difficulty hiding his glee as he handed the note for Ron and Arabella to read.

'Awesome! Harry you have to let me have a go at it,' said Arabella with her mouth open.

'A Nimbus Two Thousand! I've never even touched one,' moaned Ron.

The three of them left the hall as quickly as they could so that they could unwrap the broomstick in private. Halfway across the entrance, they were stopped by Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy seized the package from Harry.

'That's a broomstick,' said Malfoy, with a look of jealousy and spite at Harry, after throwing back the package at him. 'You're in for it this time Potter. First years aren't allowed them.'

'It's not just any broomstick, it's a Nimbus Two Thousand. What did you say you had at home Malfoy? A Comet Two Sixty?' said Ron with a big smile on his face. 'Comets look good, but they're not in the same league as the Nimbus.'

'What would you know about that Weasley? You can hardly afford the handle if you and your brothers save up twig by twig,' snapped Malfoy.

Before Ron could answer, Professor Flitwick appeared at Malfoy's elbow.

'Not arguing, I hope, boy?' he squeaked.

'Professor, I'm a girl,' said Arabella, holding on to Ron's arm, trying to stop him for attacking Malfoy.

'My apologises Miss Black,' he bowed his head, as an apology.

'Professor, Harry was given a broomstick. That's my Malfoy's here,' Arabella said before Malfoy opened his mouth.

'Oh, yes. Professor McGonagall told me about the special circumstances. What model is it Potter?'

'Nimbus two Thousand, sir,' said Harry, who was fighting not to laugh at the look of horror on Malfoy's face. 'And it's all thanks to Malfoy that I've got it.'

Harry, Ron and Arabella headed upstairs smothering their laughs at Malfoy's obvious rage and confusion.

'Well, it's true. If he hadn't stolen Neville's Remembrall I wouldn't be on the team,' said Harry as they reached the top of the stairs.

'So I suppose you think that's a reward for breaking rules?' came an angry voice from just behind them. Hermione was stomping up the stairs looking disapprovingly at the package in Harry's hand.

'I thought you weren't speaking to us? What happened?' said Arabella coolly.

'Don't stop now, its doing us so much good,' said Ron.

Hermione marched away with her nose in the air.

Harry, Ron and Arabella went up to the boy's dormitory, where they laid his new broomstick on his bed.

'Wow,' said Ron as they looked at the beautiful broomstick that was on Harry's bedspread.

As seven o'clock drew nearer, Harry left the castle and set off towards the Quidditch patch with his new broomstick under his arm.

* * *

On Halloween morning, they woke up to the delicious smell of baking pumpkin wafting through the corridors. Professor Flitwick announced in Charms that they were going to start making objects fly today. He put them into pairs to practice. Harry was with Seamus Finnigan, which was a relief as Neville was trying to catch Harry's eye. Arabella was with Dean Thomas, and neither seemed unhappy with this pairing. Ron, however was working with Hermione Granger, and nobody could tell who was madder about this.

'Don't forget class, swish and flick!' squeaked Professor Flitwick, who was on top of a pile of books.

Harry and Seamus swish and flicked, but nothing was happening. Seamus was getting impatient and started probing his want with the feather, which set it on fire – Harry had to put it out with his hat.

Arabella was at the table behind Harry with Dean. She seemed to be able to get it a few inches off the table before it fell again. Dean was having no luck at all. His feather barely moved from the table.

Ron was at the table beside Harry. He wasn't doing well either.

'_Wingardium Leviosa!_' he shouted, waving his arms like a windmill.

'You're saying it all wrong,' Hermione snapped. 'It's Wing-_gar _-dium Levi-_o_-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long.'

'You do then if you're so clever,' snarled Ron.

Hermione rolled up her sleeves, flicked her wand at the feather and said, '_Wingardium Leviosa!'_

Their feather rose off the desk and hovered about four feet above their heads.

'Well, done! See everyone! Miss Granger's done it!' cried Professor Flitwick as he started clapping.

Ron was in a bad temper by the end of the class.

'It's no wonder why she doesn't have any friends. She's a nightmare, honestly,' he said to Harry and Arabella.

Someone knocked into Harry as thy hurried past him. It was Hermione, and was startled to see that she was in tears.

'I think she heard you,' said Arabella as she watched Hermione walk by them.

'So? She must have noticed that she doesn't have any friends,' said Ron, who looked a bit uncomfortable.

Hermione didn't turn up for any of their next classes and wasn't seen all afternoon. As Harry and Ron were making their way to the Great Hall, they met up with Arabella.

'Guys, Hermione has been crying in the girl's bathroom. Parvati told me,' she said in an uncomfortable voice. Ron looked awkward at this information, but as soon as they entered the Great Hall and saw all the decorations, Hermione was put out of their minds.

They all sat down and helped themselves to the food that was in front of them. Harry was just helping himself to some jack potatoes when Professor Quirrell came sprinting into the hall with terror on his face. 'Troll in the dungeons – thought you ought to know.'

He then fainted.

There was uproar. Purple firecrackers exploded from Dumbledore's wand to bring silence.

'Prefects, lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!'

Percy was in his element. 'Follow me! Stick together, first years! Stay behind me! No need to fear the trolls if you stick with me!'

'How could a troll get in?' Harry asked as they climbed the stairs.

'Don't ask me, they're supposed to be really stupid,' said Ron. 'Maybe Peeves let it in for a Halloween joke.'

'They wouldn't go that far. Somebody else must have done it,' said Arabella.

They passed several different groups if people hurrying in different directions before Harry grabbed Ron and Arabella's arms.

'I just thought – Hermione.'

'What about her?' asked Ron, just as Arabella hit him over his head.

'She's in the bathroom. She doesn't know anything about the troll,' said Arabella

Ron bit his lip.

'All right,' he snapped. 'But Percy better not see us.'

They joined the Hufflepuffs going the other way, then slipped down a deserted side corridor and hurried off towards the girl's bathroom. They just turned the corridor before they heard quick footsteps behind them. Ron pulled Harry and Arabella behind a large stone griffin.

Peering around, they saw Snape. He crossed the corridor and disappeared from view.

'What's he doing?' Harry whispered. 'Why isn't he down in the dungeons with the rest of the teachers?'

'Search me,' said Ron.

Arabella looked at them with a worried face. 'You don't think he let the troll in, do you?'

Harry and Ron looked at each other with terrified expressions. 'Let's hope not.'

Quietly as possible, they crept along the next corridor after Snape's fading steps.

'He's heading for the third floor,' Harry said, but Ron held up his hand.

'Do you smell something?'

Harry and Arabella sniffed. A foul stench reached their noses. It seemed to be a mixture of old socks and the kind of public toilet that no one seems to clean.

Then they heard it – a low grunting and the snuffling of gigantic feet. At the end of a passage was something moving towards them. They shrank into the shadows and watched it emerge in front of their eyes. It was a twelve feet tall. Its skin was dull, granite grey, its great lumpy body like a boulder with a small perched on top like a coconut.

The troll stopped next to a doorway and peered inside. It slouched slowly into the room.

'The key's in the lock,' Harry muttered. 'We could lock it in.'

'Good idea,' said Ron nervously.

'No! Not a good idea! That's the girl's bathroom!' shouted Arabella.

Then they heard a high pitched scream coming from the doorway.

'_Hermione!'_ they said together.

Harry pulled the door open and ran inside. Hermione Granger was shrinking against the wall opposite, looking as though as was about to faint. The troll advanced on to her, knocking the sinks off the walls on his way.

'Confuse it!' Harry said desperately to Ron and Arabella. He grabbed a tap and threw it against the wall.

The troll stopped a few feet away from Hermione. It turned around, trying to see what made that noise. When its eyes saw Harry, it made its way from him, lifting the club as it went.

'Oy, pea-brain!' yelled Ron, as he and Arabella threw metal pipes and anything they could find at it. They efforts were pointless as it didn't seem to notice it. The troll did, however, hear the yell and paused again, turning towards Ron and Arabella instead, giving Harry time to run around it.

'Come on, run, _run_!' Harry yelled at Hermione, but she couldn't move, she was still against the wall, mouth wide open in terror.

The shouting seemed to irritate the troll. It let out a roar and started towards Ron and Arabella, who was the closest to the giant troll.

Then Harry did something that was very brave and very stupid: he took a big jump and managed to fasten his arms around the troll's neck from behind. Harry than jammed his wand into the troll's nose.

Howling with pain, the troll twisted and flailed his club, with Harry clinging on to it for dear life.

Hermione sank to the floor in fright, Arabella was staring at Harry in terror; Ron pulled out his own wand – not knowing what he was going to do. He heard himself cry out the first spell that came to his head: '_Wingardiun Leviosa!'_

The club flew suddenly out of the troll's hand, rising higher and higher into the air – and dropped, with a crack on the head of the troll. It swayed on the floor before it fell on its face.

Harry got to his feet. He was shaking and out of breath. Ron was standing there with his wand still raised, staring at what he had done. Arabella was moving slowly towards the troll.

It was Hermione who spoke first.

'Is it – dead?'

'No, it's knocked out,' said Arabella, slowly poking the arm of the troll.

Harry took out his wand from the troll's nose. It was covered in what looked like lumpy grey glue.

'Urgh – troll bogies.'

He wiped it on the troll's trousers.

A sudden slamming and loud footsteps made the three of them look up. They hadn't realised what a racked they had been making, bout of course, someone downstairs must have heard the crashed and the troll's roars.

A moment later, Professor McGonagall had come bursting into the room, closely followed by Snape and Quirrell. Quirrell took one look at the troll, let out a faint whimper and sat down at one of the toilets, clutching his heart.

Snape bent over to the troll. Professor McGonagall was looking at Harry, Ron and Arabella. They had never seen her look so angry.

'What on earth were you thinking?' said Professor McGonagall, with cold fury in her voice. 'You're lucky you weren't killed. Why aren't you in your dormitory?'

A small voice came out of the shadows.

'Please, Professor McGonagall – they were looking for me.'

'Miss Granger!'

Hermione had managed to get to her feet at last.

'I was looking for the troll because I thought I could deal with it on my own. I read all about them.'

Ron dropped his wand. Arabella was staring at Hermione with her mouth open.

'If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead by now. Harry stuck his wand in its nose. Ron knocked it out, while Arabella was trying to distract it from me. They didn't have the time to go get anyone else. If they did, I would probably be dead by now.

Harry, Ron and Arabella tried to look as though this news wasn't new to them. But failed.

'Well – in that case… Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor. I am very disappointed in you. You getting get off to Gryffindor tower. Some of the students are finishing the feast in the Houses.'

Hermione left just as Professor McGonagall turned towards Harry, Ron and Arabella.

'Not many first years could take on a troll, I would say you were lucky. You each get five points. Professor Dumbledore with be informed. You may leave now.'

They hurried out of the chamber and didn't say anything until they climbed two floors up.

'We should have gotten more than fifteen points,' Ron admitted.

'It was ten, after she took away Hermione's points.'

'Good of her to get us out of trouble. Mid you we did save her.'

'She might not have needed saving if she wasn't in their in the first place,' said Harry giving Ron a pointed look.

They had reached the Fat Lady and gave the password.

The common-room was packed and noisy. Everyone was eating the food that was sent up. Hermione, however, stood alone by the door, waiting for them. There was a very embarrassing pause. Then they all said 'Thanks' and hurried off to get plates.

But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend. There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll in one of them.

**Yeah! They're all friends! Thank you for reading, please review :)**


	8. Quidditch

**disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, if I did I would be shouting that from the top of every building I could fine :)**

**Enjoy! Please review and tell me what you think :)**

Quidditch

As November came, so did Quidditch season. On Saturday, Harry would be playing in his first match of weeks of training: Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. Hardly anyone had seen Harry play, Wood decided that he was their secret weapon.

It was really lucky that Harry had Hermione as a friend now. She had become a bit more relaxed about breaking rules ever since they saved her from the troll. She and Arabella have gotten along better after she made another apology and they hugged. Arabella was happy not to be the only girl and that Hermione was with her.

The day before the match, the four of them were out in the freezing courtyard during the break when Hermione conjured them up a bright blue fire which could be carried around in a jam jar. They were surrounding their backs to it, trying to get warm when Snape crossed the yard. Harry noticed that he was limping. The four of them moved closer to block the fire from view; they were sure that it wasn't allowed. Unfortunately Snape still came over. He didn't see the fire but seemed to be looking for a reason to tell them off anyway.

'What's that you've got there, Potter?'

It was _Quidditch through the Ages. _Harry showed him.

'Library books are not allowed to be taken outside the school,' said Snape. 'Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor.'

'It's a stupid rule. He made it up,' said Arabella. Glaring at Snape's limping figure as he walked away.

'Wonder what's wrong with his leg?' asked Harry, who was also angry.

'Dunno, but I hope it's really hurting him,' said Ron bitterly.

* * *

Gryffindor common-room was very noisy that evening. The four of them sat together next to a window. Hermione was checking Harry and Ron's Charms homework for them, while Arabella was looking over their Defence Against the Dark Arts homework. Arabella and Hermione would never let them copy theirs. Hermione would say that they would never learn and Arabella would tell them all the wrong answers, saying that copying would never do them any good. But they would look through their work to see if they got it right, usually they do.

Harry felt restless. He really wanted _Quidditch through the Ages _back. Why should he be afraid of Snape? Getting up, he told Ron, Arabella and Hermione he was going to ask Snape if he could have it.

'Rather you than me,' said Ron and Hermione was shaking her head.

Harry turned to Arabella smiling, hoping that she would come with him.

'Please?'

Arabella looked at him with a 'are you stupid?' look.

'There's a chance that he's going to yell at me. Do you want to miss that? Then you can tell him about how bad of a teacher he is,' said Harry, knowing Arabella, she would want to be there for that.

Arabella gave him a small smile.

'Let's go Harry,' said Arabella, getting up and giving Ron and Hermione a small wave.

They made their way to the staff room and knocked. There was no answer and knocked again. Nothing.

'Maybe we should just go in? He's probably not in there? He might have left the book there. We can go in and get out there really fast,' suggested Arabella.

It was worth a shot. Harry opened the door slightly so that they both could see inside. They were met with a horrible scene.

Snape and Filch were inside, alone. Snape was holding his robes above his knees. One of his legs was bloody and mangled. Filch was handing Snape bandages.

'Blasted thing. How are you supposed to keep your eyes in all three heads at once?' said Snape.

Harry tried to shut the door quietly, but –

'POTTER! BLACK!'

Snape face was twisted with fury as he dropped his robes quickly to hide his legs. Harry gulped as Arabella went white.

'I was wondering if I could have my book back,' said Harry.

'GET OUT! _OUT!_'

They left, before Snape could take any points away from Gryffindor. They ran back towards to common-room.

'Did you get it?' Ron asked as Harry and Arabella joined them. 'What's the matter?'

In low whisper, Harry told them what they saw.

'Do you know what this means?' he finished breathlessly. 'He tried to get past the three-headed dog at Halloween! That's whatever it's guarding! And I'd bet my broomstick _he _let the troll in, to make a diversion!'

Hermione's eyes were wide.

'No – he wouldn't,' she said. 'I know he's not very nice, but he wouldn't try and steel something Dumbledore was keeping safe.'

'Hermione, I know Snape. He's evil. I wouldn't put it past him to do something like this,' said Arabella, who finally regained her breath.

'Just because he mean doesn't mean that he's evil. He's not that bad,' said Hermione in an uncertain voice.

'Honestly, Hermione, you think all teachers are saints or something,' snapped Ron. 'I'm with Harry and Arabella. But what's he after? What's the dog guarding?'

Harry went to bed with the same question buzzing in his head.

* * *

The next morning was very bright and cold. The Great Hall was full of the delicious smell of fried sausages and the cheerful chatter of everyone looking forward to a good Quidditch match.

'It because it's Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. They've had a rivalry for years. It's legendary,' said Arabella after Harry asked her about the buzz in the Great Hall.

'Harry, you have to eat something,' said Hermione after looking at his empty plate.

'I don't want anything.'

'Just a bit of toast.'

'I'm not hungry.'

He felt terrible. In an hour's time he'd be walking to the pitch.

'Harry, you need your strength,' said Seamus Finnigan. 'Seekers are always the one who get nobbled by the other team.'

'Thanks, Seamus,' said Harry, watching Seamus pile ketchup on his sausages.

Arabella was watching Seamus and his sausages with a slightly disgusted face.

She turned to Harry.

'He's right Harry. You have to eat something.'

Harry opened his mouth to tell her that he's still not angry. But before he could she took a slice of toast and stuffed it in his mouth.

'Ahh – what was that for?' exclaimed Harry, chewing on a bit of the toast.

'You have to eat something. This is what I do with Uncle Remus when he's being stubborn like you,' Arabella smirked. 'It made you eat, didn't it? Feel better?'

Harry glared at Arabella. She was right, he did feel better. He wasn't going to tell her that.

By eleven o'clock the whole school seemed to be out in the stands around the Quidditch patch. Many students had binoculars. The seats might be raised high in the air but it was still difficult to see what was going on sometimes.

Ron, Arabella and Hermione joined Neville, Seamus and Dean up in the top row. As a surprise for Harry, they had painted a large banner on one of those sheets that Scabbers had ruined. It said _Potter for President_ and Dean, who was good at drawing, had done a large Gryffindor lion underneath. Then Hermione and Arabella performed a little tricky charm so that the paint flashed different colours and that the head of the lion opened his mouth, giving a little roar here and there.

Meanwhile, Harry was in the changing rooms with the rest of the team. Wood cleared his throat.

'Ok, me,' he said.

'And women,' said Chaser Angelina Johnson.

'And, women,' Wood agreed. 'This is it.'

'The big one,' said Fred.

'The one we've been waiting for,' said George.

'We know Oliver's speech by heart,' Fred told Harry. 'We were on the team last year.'

'Shut you, you two,' said Wood. 'This is the best team Gryffindor's had in years. We're going to win. I know it.'

He glared at them all as if to say, 'Or else.'

'Right, it's time. Good luck, all of you.'

Harry followed Fred and George out of the changing room and hoping his knees weren't going to give way, walked on to the pitch to loud cheers.

* * *

'It was Snape,' Ron explained. 'Arabella, Hermione and I saw him. He was cursing your broomstick, muttering, he wouldn't take his eyes off you.'

'Rubbish,' said Hagrid. 'Why would Snape do somethin' like that?'

Harry, Ron, Arabella and Hermione looked at each other, wondering what to tell him. Harry decided on the truth.

'We found out something about him,' he told Hagrid. 'He tried to get past the three-headed dog at Halloween. It bit him. We think he's trying to steal whatever it's guarding.'

Hagrid dropped the teapot.

'How do you know about Fluffy?'

'_Fluffy?'_

'You named a vicious looking creature _Fluffy?_' said Arabella with her mouth slightly opened.

'Yeah – he's mine – bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year – I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the – '

'Yes?' said Harry eagerly.

'No, don't ask me anymore. That's top secret, that it,' said Hagrid gruffly.

'But Hagrid, Snape's trying to steal it. He's doing it under Dumbledore's nose,' exclaimed Arabella, throwing her arms into the air.

'Rubbish,' said Hagrid again. 'He wouldn't try to steal somethin'. He's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd do nothing of the sort.'

'So why did he try to kill Harry?' asked Hermione.

The afternoon's events certainly changed Hermione's opinion on Snape.

'I know a jinx when I see one, Hagrid, I've read about them all. You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking at all. I saw him!'

'I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong!' said Hagrid hotly. 'I don't know why Harry's broom acted like that, but Snape wouldn't try an' kill a student! Now listen to me, all four of yeh – yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that don, an' you forget what it's guardin', that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicholas Flamel –'

'Aha!' said Harry. 'So there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved, is there?'

Hagrid looked furious with himself.

* * *

Harry, Ron, Arabella and Hermione were walking back to the castle when Harry turned to them.

'What do you guys really think of Snape? Hagrid seems to trust him, but…'

'He's mean. Foul git,' said Ron, shaking his head at the thought of Snape.

'I agree with Ron. He isn't a very good teacher. We're going to have him for seven years and all he does is criticizes us. We need a proper teacher,' said Hermione, while Ron was rolling his eyes at her concern for a better teacher.

Harry turned to Arabella. She was the only person Snape hated more that Harry.

'I don't trust him, not matter of everyone else does. He's up to something. I just hope we're wrong about this. I rather he was far away from whatever the dog's guarding,' said Arabella.

Harry, Ron and Hermione turned to her, stunned that she showed some compassion for Snape.

'Not because I care about him, jeez,' said Arabella, rolling her eyes. 'I just don't want him to get his hands on whatever it's guarding. It's probably really powerful. If Snape gets his hands on it, who know what could happen.'

Harry nodded his head, agreeing with her.

As they entered the common-room and separated to their dormitories, Ron and he got ready for bed. As he started to drift off to sleep, he wondered what the dog was guarding and what Snape would do with it.

**Thank you for reading! I love Quidditch but I didn't want to write the whole thing out. **


	9. The Mirror of Erised

**disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Never did, never will :(**

**Enjoy! Hope you like it :)**

The Mirror of Erised

Christmas was coming. One morning in mid-December, Hogwarts woke to itself covered in several feet of snow. The lake froze solid and the Weasley twins were punished for bewitching several snowballs so that they followed Quirrell around, bouncing off the back of his turban. The few owls that managed to battle their way through the stormy sky to deliver post had to be nursed back to health by Hagrid before they could fly off again.

No one could wait for the holidays to start. While the Gryffindor common-room and the Great Hall had roaring fires, the corridors had become icy. Worst of all were Professor Snape's classes down in the dungeons, where their breath rose in a mist before them and they kept as close as possible to their hot cauldrons.

'I do feel so sorry,' said Draco Malfoy, 'for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home.'

He was looking over at Harry's table as he spoke. Harry ignored them. Ever since the Quidditch match, Malfoy had become even more unpleasant. He tried to get people laughing at the fact that a wide-mouthed tree frog could replace Harry as the next Seeker. Nobody found that funny as they were impressed at the way Harry managed to stay on his broomstick. So Malfoy went back to making fun of Harry about having no proper family.

It was true that Harry was not going back to Privet Drive for Christmas. When Professor McGonagall went around making a list for student who was staying behind, Harry signed up immediately. Ron and his brother were staying too, Mr and Mrs Weasley were going to Romania to visit Charlie. Arabella was also staying behind, her family was busy this Christmas.

When they left the dungeons, they found a large fir tree blocking the corridor ahead. Two enormous feet sticking out at the bottom and a loud puffing sound told them that Hagrid was behind it.

'Hi, Hagrid, want any help?' Ron asked sticking his head through the branches.

'Nah, I'm all right, thanks, Ron.'

'Would you mind moving out of the way?' came Malfoy's cold drawl from behind them. 'Are you trying to earn some extra money, Weasley? Hoping to be gamekeeper yourself when you leave Hogwarts, I suppose – that hut of Hagrid's must seem like a palace compared to what your family's used to.'

Ron made a dive at Malfoy but Arabella pulled him back. She turned to Malfoy.

'Get lost Malfoy. The Weasleys are ten times better than you. At least they're a real family,' said Arabella, glaring at Malfoy.

'Yeah? What would you know about family? Dead mother, locked up father. You don't have a family,' sneered Malfoy with an evil smirk on his face.

Hagrid managed to hold on to the back of Arabella's uniform as she made her way to Malfoy, swinging her arms, trying to hit any part of Malfoy.

'BLACK!'

Hagrid let go of Arabella, just as Snape came up the stairs.

'She was provoked, Professor Snape,' said Hagrid. 'Malfoy was insulting her and Ron's family.'

'Be that as it may, violence is against Hogwarts rules, Hagrid.'

'But Professor, Arabella didn't hit Malfoy, Hagrid held her back,' said Harry.

'Enough Potter, I will not be told of the school rules by a mere student. Ten points, Black, Potter. Be grateful it wasn't more,' said Snape silkily, moving along his way.

Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle pushed roughly past the tree, scattering needle everywhere and smirking.

'I'll get him,' said Ron, grinding his teeth at Malfoy's back. He turned to Arabella, 'why did you hold me back? I could have gotten him.'

'He's not worth it, Ron,' said Arabella, looking sad at Malfoy's comment.

'You were going after him,' said Harry, obviously.

'I'm _family_, I'm allowed to take a swing at him,' said Arabella with a small smirk.

'Anyway, Arabella, don't yer worry about what Malfoy said. Tell yeh what, you lot come with me an' see the Great Hall, look a treat.'

So the four of them followed Hagrid and his tree off to the Great hall, where Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were busy with the Christmas decorations.

'Ah, Hagrid, the last tree – put it in the far corner, would you?'

'How many days you got left until yer holidays?' Hagrid asked.

'Just one,' asked Hermione. 'And that reminds me – Harry, Ron, Arabella, we've got half an hour before lunch, we should be in the library.'

'Oh, yeah, you're right,' said Ron, tearing his eyes away from Professor Flitwick, who had golden bubbles blossoming from the end of his wand.

Arabella groaned. 'Do we have to go to the library? It's boring!'

'Yes we do,' snapped Hermione.

'The library?' said Hagrid, following them out of the hall. 'Just before the holidays? Bit keen, aren't yeh?'

'Oh, we're not working,' Harry told him brightly. 'Ever since you mentioned Nicolas Flamel we've been trying to find out who he is.'

'You _what_?' said Hagrid looking shocked. 'Listen here – I've told yeh – drop it. It's nothin' to you what that dog's guardin'.'

'We just want to know who Nicolas Flamel is, that's all,' said Hermione.

'Unless you can tell us now and save us the trouble of going into the library, again,' said Arabella in a hopeful voice.

'We've looked through hundreds of book already and we haven't found him. Please Hagrid, give us a hint. I know I've read his name somewhere.'

'I'm not sayin' nothin',' said Hagrid flatly.

'Just have to find out for ourselves, then,' said Ron, and then they left Hagrid, Hermione pulling on Arabella's arm, towards the library.

They had been searching books for Flamel's name since Hagrid accidently slipped up. The trouble was not knowing what Flamel might have done to get himself into a book. The size of the library wasn't helping either.

Hermione took out a list of subjects and titles she had decided to search while Ron strode off down a row of book and started pulling them off the shelves at random. Arabella picked up one of the books they already went through, to make sure that they didn't miss him. Harry wondered off to the Restriction Section, but unfortunately, you would need a signed note from a teacher to enter there.

'What are you looking for, boy?'

'Nothing.'

'You better get out, then. Go on – out!'

Harry waited outside the library for five minutes when Arabella came out.

'What happened? Where are Ron and Hermione?'

'They're still in there. Madam Pince kicked me out because I _accidently_ dropped a book on the floor,' said Arabella, looking a bit ashamed.

'Accidently?' said Harry with raised eyebrows.

'Yes, Harry. Accidently,' said Arabella, giving him a small smile.

They stayed outside the library for another five minutes before Ron and Hermione came outside, shaking their heads as they went off for lunch.

'You'll keep searching when I'm gone, won't you?' said Hermione.

'No promises,' said Arabella.

'Send me an owl if you find anything,' said Hermione, ignoring Arabella's comment.

'And you can ask your parents if they know who Flamel is,' said Ron. 'It'd be safe to ask them.'

'Very safe, considering they're dentists,' said Hermione.

'What are dentists?' asked Ron as Hermione and Arabella started to laugh.

* * *

'PRESENTS!'

On Christmas morning, Harry was woken up by a screaming Arabella jumping on his bed.

'Merry Christmas Harry!' screamed Arabella, as she went to Ron's bed to wake him up.

'Merlin Arabella! It's too early for you to wake us up!' said Ron, in a grumpy voice.

'Ronald, there are presents waiting to be open,' said Arabella in an innocent voice. 'If you don't get up I'll hide them all over Hogwarts, you know I will.'

That got Ron up.

'I don't like you very much,' said Ron, narrowing his eyes at her.

'Merry Christmas to you too,' said Arabella, going to Neville's empty bed where she had her pile of presents.

'Merry Christmas Harry,' said Ron, going to his pile.

'Merry Christmas,' said Harry. 'Will you look at this? I've got some presents!'

'What did you expect turnips?' said Ron.

Harry picked up the first parcel. It was wrapped in thick brown paper and scrawled across it was _To Harry, from Hagrid_. It was a roughly-cut wooden flute that sounded like an owl. A second very small parcel was from Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia that was taped to a fifty-pence piece.

'That's friendly,' said Harry.

Ron was fascinated by the fifty pence.

'_Weird!' _he said. 'What a shape! This is _money?'_

Harry and Arabella started laughing.

'You can keep it. Hagrid and my aunt and uncle – so who sent these?'

'I think I know who that one's from,' said Ron, going a little pink and pointing to a very large lumpy parcel. 'You got one to Arabella. It's from my mom. I told her that you might not be expecting any presents and –oh no,' he groaned, 'she's made you a Weasley jumper.'

Harry and Arabella tore open their parcels to find think hand-knitted sweater. Harry's was emerald green, while Arabella's was a golden brown. They also received a box of home-made fudge.

'Every year she makes us a jumper,' said Ron, unwrapping his own, 'and mine's _always _maroon.'

'That's really mice of her,' said Harry, trying the fudge.

'Tes es rewlly tawste,' said Arabella with her mouth full of the fudge.

'_What?' _chorused Harry and Ron.

Arabella swallowed the fudge. 'I said 'This is really tasty'.'

Harry next present also contained sweets – a large box of Chocolate Frogs from Hermione and a box of Every Flavour Beans from Arabella.

This left only one parcel. Harry picked it up and unwrapped it. Something fluid and slivery grey fell into the ground. Ron and Arabella gasped.

'Is that what I think it is?' whispered Arabella, staring at it on the ground.

'Those are really rare, and really valuable,' said Ron in a hushed voice.

'What is it?' said Harry, as he picked up the slivery cloth off the floor.

'It's an invisibility cloak,' said Ron, with a look of awe on his face. 'I'm sure it is – try it on!'

Harry threw it around his shoulders and Ron gave a yell.

'It is! Look down!'

Harry looked down at his feet, but they were gone. Ron was looking at Harry with awe, as Arabella went back to Neville's bed.

'There's a note!' said Ron suddenly. 'A note fell out of it!'

Harry pulled off the cloak and seized the letter. Written in narrow, loopy writing he had never seen before were the following words: _Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well. A Very Merry Christmas to you. _

There was no signature. Harry stared at the note. Ron was still admiring the cloak.

'I'd give anything for one of these,' he said. 'What's the matter?'

'Nothing,' said Harry.

He looked up and saw that Arabella was staring at something small in her hands with a slight frown on her face.

'Are you ok Arabella?' said Harry.

Before Arabella could answer, the dormitory door was flung open and Fred and George bounded in.

'Merry Christmas!'

'Hey, look – Harry and Arabella got a Weasley jumper, too!'

'Harry and Arabella's better than ours, though,' said Fred, holding up Harry's jumper with one hand and Arabella's in another. 'She obviously makes more effort if you're not family.'

'Why aren't you wearing yours Ron? Come one, get it on, they're lovely and warm,' demanded George.

'I hate maroon,' moaned Ron as he pulled the jumper over his head.

'What are you looking at Arabella?' said Fred.

Before she could answer, Fred snatched the item out of her hand.

'Hey! Give that back!' said Arabella.

She chased Fred around the dormitory trying to get it back before she fell on one of the wrapping papers.

Fred started to chuckle before he saw what the item was. He smile instantly fell off and he showed it to George.

'So, that's what he looks like,' stated George.

'What is it?' asked Ron. Harry was wondering what could get Fred and George to stop smiling.

Fred showed Harry and Ron what it was. It was a picture of a small family. There was a tall man with long black that that reached his shoulders and grey eyes. Beside his was a tan skinned woman with brown hair and brown eyes. In the man's arms was a baby that looked like a replica of the woman, but with the man's eyes. They were smiling at the camera while the man gave same kisses on the woman's cheek and the top of the baby's head.

'Who are they?' asked Harry.

'That's my mom and dad. They baby's me,' said Arabella, as she picked herself up from the floor and got the picture back from Fred.

'Who sent it to you?' said Fred

'Don't know. It just came in a brown envelope. Didn't say who it was from or where it was from,' said Arabella.

'Arabella, I'm – 'started Fred.

'What's all the noise?'

Percy stuck his head through the door, looking disapproving. He had clearly come halfway through unwrapping his presents as he, too, carried a lumpy jumper over his shoulders, which Fred seized.

'P for prefect! Get it on Percy, come on, we're all wearing ours, even Harry and Arabella got one.'

'I – don't – want – 'said Percy thickly, as the twins forced the jumper over his head.

'And you're not sitting with the prefects today, either,' said George. 'Christmas is a time for family.'

Percy marched from the room, his arms pinned to his side by the jumper. Fred and George were about to follow his out when Fred turned to Arabella.

'I'm really sorry for what I did earlier,' said Fred, giving an apologetic smile.

'It's fine,' replied Arabella, giving him a smile in return. Fred and George left the room.

'You wanna go to the Great Hall, they might have some chocolate pudding,' said Ron, trying to lift Arabella's spirits.

'Let's go,' said Arabella.

* * *

'You could have woken us up,' said Ron, crossly.

'I doubt it, it was late at night,' said Arabella.

'You two can come tonight, I'm going back, I want to show you the mirror,' said Harry.

'I want to see your mom and dad,' said Ron eagerly.

'And I want to see both of your families too. All the Weasleys and your uncles and aunt, Arabella.'

'You can see them any old time. Just come around my house this summer,' said Ron.

'Same here. I want you guys to meet Nymph, she's fun,' said Arabella.

'Harry, have some bacon or something, why aren't you eating anything?' said Ron.

Harry couldn't eat. He had just seen his parents and would see them again tonight.

'Harry, are you ok? You look a bit odd?' said Arabella.

* * *

What Harry feared the most was that he might not be able to find the mirror room again. With Ron and Arabella also covered in the cloak too, they had to walk much slowly that night.

'I'm freezing,' said Ron. 'Let's forget it and go back.'

'_No!'_ hissed Harry. 'I know it's here somewhere.'

Harry spotted the suit of armour.

'It's here – just here – yes!'

They pushed the door open. Harry dropped the cloak from round his shoulders and ran to the mirror.

There they were. His mother and father beamed at the sight of him.

'I show not your face but your heart's desire,' said Arabella, inspecting the mirror.

'What?' whispered Harry and Ron.

'The writing on the mirror,' said Arabella, pointing to the top of the mirror. 'That's what it says backwards.'

'Forget about that. Look! Look at them all… there are loads of them…'

'I can only see you,' said Ron.

'Look in it properly, go on, stand where I am.'

Harry stepped aside and went to Arabella, but with Ron in front of the mirror, he couldn't see his family anymore, just Ron is his paisley pyjamas.

Ron, though, was staring transfixed at his image.

'Look at me!'

'Can you see all your family standing around you?'

'No – I'm alone – but I'm different – I look older – and I'm head boy!'

'_What?_'

'I am – I'm wearing the badge like Bill used to – and I'm holding the house cup and the Quidditch cup – I'm Quidditch captain, too!'

'My turn!' said Arabella, walking towards the mirror as Ron reluctantly stepped away from it and stood my Harry.

Arabella turned to the mirror and gasped.

'What happened? Is everything ok?' said Harry.

Arabella didn't seem to hear him. She kept staring at the image in front of her. Her eyes seemed to have become glassy and her right hand moved to touch the surface of the mirror.

'Arabella!' said Ron.

This seemed to snap Arabella back to reality. 'Yeah?'

'What do you see?' asked Harry eagerly.

Arabella took a deep breath before she answered.

'I see me, Uncle Remus, my mom and … my dad. We're all looking happy and walking underneath the moonlight. Nobody's dead, nobody's locked up and we're all healthy.'

Arabella stepped away from the mirror, wiping her eyes hastily. 'We should be going. We could get caught. We can come back another night.'

'Let me have another look –'said Harry.

'You had it to yourself all last night, give me a bit more time,' said Ron.

'You're only holding the Quidditch cup, what's interesting about that? I want to see my parents.'

'Is this really the moment?' whispered Arabella.

'Don't push me – '

A sudden noise outside in the corridor put an end to their discussion. They didn't realise how loud they were talking.

'Quick!'

Ron threw the cloak back around their shoulders as Mrs Norris came around the door. Ron, Arabella and Harry stood still until Mrs Norris turned and left.

'This isn't safe – she might have gone for Filch, I bet she heard us. Come on.'

And Ron pulled Harry and Arabella out of the room.

* * *

The snow still hadn't melted next morning.

'Want to play chess, Harry?' said Ron.

'No.'

'Why don't we go and visit Hagrid?'

'No... you go…'

'I know what you're thinking about, Harry, that mirror. Don't go back tonight. You too Arabella. You both were acting really weird.'

'Any why not?' said Arabella, looking up from the picture of her family.

'I dunno, I've just got a bad feeling about it – and anyway, you've had too many close shaves already, Harry. Filch, Snape and Mrs Norris are wondering around. So what if they can't see you? What if they walk into you? What if you knock something over?'

'You sound like Hermione,' said Harry.

'I'm serious, Harry, Arabella, don't go.'

Harry only had one thought in his head, which was to get back in front of the mirror, and Ron wasn't going to stop him.

* * *

Later that night, Harry went to the common-room and saw Arabella there already waiting for him.

'You coming?' said Harry.

'Just one last time. I want to see them one last time,' said Arabella, in a sort of distant voice.

Harry threw the cloak around their shoulders and ventured out through the portrait hole.

The third night he found his way more quickly than before and Arabella seemed to match his pace.

And there were his mother and father, smiling at him again, and one of his grandfathers nodding happily. Harry sank to the floor in front of the mirror. Arabella sat away from the mirror. They decided that Harry would go first, then Arabella.

'So – back again, Harry? Arabella?'

Harry felt as though his insides had turned to ice. He saw Arabella turn pale in the corner of his eyes. They both turned around and saw Albus Dumbledore sitting on one of the desks by the wall.

'We didn't see you, sir.'

'Strange how short-sighted being invisible can make you both,' said Dumbledore and Harry was relieved to see that he was smiling.

'So,' said Dumbledore, slipping of the desk to sit on the floor between Harry and Arabella, 'you two, like hundreds before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror if Erised.'

'I didn't know what it was called that, sir.'

'But I expect you both have realised by now what it does?'

'It show's our deepest, darkest desires,' said Arabella in a small voice, looking down.

'Precisely, Miss Black. You who have watched your family ripped from you at a very young age want to see them reunited together. And you have seen your Uncle in bad health for many years, see him healthy,' said Dumbledore.

'Your friend Ronald Weasley, who has always been overshadowed by his brothers, sees himself standing alone, the best of all of them. You, Mr Potter, have never known your family, see them standing around you.'

'Sir – how do you know all this?' asked Arabella.

'I don't need a cloak to become invisible,' said Dumbledore gently. 'The happiest man on earth would look in this mirror and see himself exactly as he is. Men have wasted away before it; enchanted by what they have seen, or been driven man, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible.

'The mirror will be moved to a new home tomorrow, Harry, Arabella. And I ask you both to not go looking for it again. If you both ever do run across it, you will now be prepared. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that. Now, why don't the two of you put that admirable cloak back on and get off to bed?'

Harry and Arabella stood up.

'Sir – Professor Dumbledore? Can I ask you something?' said Harry.

'Obviously, you've just done so,' Dumbledore smiled. 'You may ask me one more thing, however.'

'What do you see when you look in the mirror?'

'I? I see myself holding a pair of thick, woollen socks.'

Harry and Arabella stared.

'One can never have too many socks,' said Dumbledore. 'Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn't get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books. Anyway, off to bed the both of you beware of Mrs Norris.'

* * *

'How did you know what the mirror would show?' said Harry, as they both reached the common-room.

'Erised is backwards for desire. I told you what the writing on the mirror said last night. It just fits,' said Arabella, shrugging her shoulders. 'Good night Harry.'

Arabella made her way to her dormitory. When Harry remembered something.

'Arabella, wait. What did Dumbledore mean when he said that you _watched_ your family ripped apart from you? Did you see your mother die?' asked Harry.

Arabella stared at Harry for a moment.

'That is another story for another time. I'll tell you one day, just not now. Good night Harry,' said Arabella with a small wave.

Harry stood there for a moment, realizing that probably that was a too personal of a question.

**Thank you for reading! Hope you liked it!**


	10. Nicolas Flamel

**disclaimer: Do not own Harry Potter, belongs to JK Rowling, the Queen. I only own Arabella and the story that she comes with**

**Enjoy! Hope you like it :)**

Nicolas Flamel

After the incident with Dumbledore, Harry and Arabella did not go looking for the Mirror of Erised again. For the rest of the Christmas holidays the invisibility cloak stayed folded at the bottom of his truck.

Hermione, who came back the day before term started, took a different view of things. She was torn between horror at the idea of Harry being out of bed, roaming the school three nights in a row with Ron and Arabella, and disappointment that they hadn't at least found out who Nicolas Flamel was.

Once term started, they were back to skimming through books for ten minutes during their breaks. Harry had even less time than the other three, because Quidditch practice had started again.

During one particularly wet and muddy practice session, Wood gave the team a bit of bad news.

'Snape's referring the next match.'

* * *

'Don't play,' said Hermione at once.

'Say you're ill,' said Ron.

'Pretend to break your leg,' said Arabella.

'_Really_ break your leg,' said Ron.

'Really Ron?' said Arabella, giving Ron a disbelieved look.

'I can't,' said Harry. 'There isn't a reserve Seeker. If I back out, Gryffindor can't play at all.'

At that moment Neville toppled into the common-room. His legs had been stuck together with what they recognised at once as the Leg-Locker Curse. He must have had to bunny hop all the way up to Gryffindor tower

Everyone fell about laughing except Hermione, who leapt up and performed the counter-curse. Neville's legs sprang apart and he got to his feet, trembling

'What happened?' Hermione asked him, leading him over to sit with Harry, Ron and Arabella.

'Malfoy,' said Neville shakily. 'I met him outside the library. He said he'd been looking for someone to practise that on.'

'Go to Professor McGonagall!' Hermione urged Neville. 'Report him!'

Neville shook his head.

'Neville, you have to do something!' said Arabella. 'Get back at him or something!'

'I don't want more trouble,' he mumbled.

'You've got to stand up to him, Neville!' said Ron. 'He's used to walking all over people, but that's no reason to lie down in front of him and make it easier.'

'There's no need to tell me I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor, Malfoy's already done that,' Neville choked.

Harry felt in the pocket of his robes and pulled out a Chocolate Frog. He gave it to Neville, who looked as though he might cry.

'You're worth twelve of Malfoy. The Sorting Hat chose you for Gryffindor, didn't it? And where's Malfoy? In stinking Slytherin,' said Harry.

Neville's lips twitched in a weak smile as he unwrapped the frog.

'Thanks, Harry… I think I'll go to bed… D'you want the card, you collect them, don't you?'

As Neville walked away Harry looked at the Famous Wizard card.

'Dumbledore again. He was the first one I ever – '

He gasped. He stared at the back of the card. Then he looked up at Ron, Arabella and Hermione.

'_I've found him!'_ he whispered. 'I've found Flamel! I told you I'd read his name somewhere before, I read it on the train coming here – listen to this: Professor Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood _and his work on alchemy with his partner Nicolas Flamel_!'

Hermione jumped to her feet. She hadn't looked so excited since they'd got back the marks for their first piece of homework.

'Stay here!' she said, and she sprinted up the stair to the girls' dormitories. Harry, Ron and Arabella barely had time to exchange looks before she was dashing back, an enormous old book in her hands.

'I never thought to look in here!' she whispered excitedly. 'I got this out of the library weeks ago for a bit of light reading.'

'Light?' said Ron, but Hermione told him to be quite until she'd looked something up and started flicking frantically through the pages, muttering to herself. At last she found what she was looking for.

'I knew it! I knew it!'

'Are we allowed to speak yet?' said Ron grumpily. Hermione ignored him.

'Nicolas Flamel,' she whispered dramatically, 'is the _only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone!_'

'Of course!' said Arabella, hitting her hand to her forehead.

'The what?' said Harry and Ron.

'Wait, Arabella, how do you know about this?' said Hermione, looking at Arabella in shock.

'Uncle Remus mentioned to me about it once,' said Arabella, looking anywhere besides Hermione.

'What?! I told you to ask him about this! Arabella!' exclaimed Hermione, looking furious.

'I couldn't ask him! Just imagine me putting it in a letter. 'Hello Uncle Remus. How is everything? Who is Nicolas Flamel? How is Aunt Andy?' It would be too suspicious!' said Arabella, looking at Hermione and matching her glare.

'Can we get back to the problem? What is the Philosopher's Stone?' said Harry.

'Oh, _honestly_. Read that, there.'

She pushed the book towards them and Harry and Ron read: _The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary substance with astonishing powers. The stone will transform any metal into pure gold. It also produces the Elixir of Life, which will make the drinker immortal. There might have been many reports of the Philosopher's Stone over the centuries, but the only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr Nicolas Flamel, the noted alchemist and opera-lover. Mr Flamel, who celebrated his six hundred and sixty-fifth birthday last year, enjoys a quiet life in Devon with his wife, Perenelle (six hundred and fifty-eight). _

'See?' said Hermione, when Harry and Ron had finished. 'The guard must be guarding the Flamel's Philosopher's Stone! I bet he asked Dumbledore to keep it safe for him, because they're friends and he knew someone was after it. That's why he wanted the Stone moved out of Gringotts!'

'A stone that makes gold and stops you ever dying!' said Harry. 'No wonder Snape's after it! Anyone would want it.'

'And no wonder we couldn't find Flamel in that _Study of Recent Developments in Wizardy_,' said Ron. 'He's not exactly recent if he's six hundred and sixty-five, is he?'

'So what are we going to do now? We know what the dog's guarding and what Snape's after. What now?' asked Arabella.

'Don't know. Just have to be sure he doesn't get it,' said Harry.

Next morning in Defence Against the Dark Arts, while copying down different ways of treating werewolf bites, Harry, Ron and Arabella were still discussing what they'd do with a Philosopher's Stone of they had one. It wasn't until Ron said he'd buy his own Quidditch team that Harry remembered about Snape and the coming match.

'I'm going to play,' he told Ron, Arabella and Hermione. 'If I don't, all the Slytherins will think I'm just too scared to face Snape. I'll show them… it'll really wipe the smiles off their faces if we win.'

'Just as long as we're not wiping you off the pitch,' said Hermione.

'You don't have to do this Harry,' said Arabella.

'I want to,' said Harry.

* * *

On the day of the match, Ron, Arabella and Hermione found a place in the stands next to Neville, who didn't understand why they looked so grim and worried, or why they brought their wands to the match. Little did Harry know that Ron, Arabella and Hermione had been secretly practicing the Leg Locker curse. They'd got the idea from Malfoy using it on Neville, and were ready to use it on Snape if he showed any sign of wanting to hurt Harry.

'Now, don't forget, it's _Locomotor Mortis_,' Hermione muttered.

'I _know,_' Ron snapped. 'Don't nag.'

'Enough, the both of you,' said Arabella. 'Look, Dumbledore's come to watch. Snape wouldn't try anything with Dumbledore watching.'

'Look at Snape. I've never seen him look so mean,' Ron told them. 'Look – they're off. Ouch!'

Someone had poked Ron in the back of the head. It was Malfoy.

'Oh, sorry, Weasley, didn't see you there.'

Malfoy grinned broadly at Crabbe and Goyle.

'Wonder how long Potter's going to stay in his broom this time? Anyone want a bet? What about you, Weasley?'

Ron didn't answer. Hermione was watching Harry with squinted eyes. Arabella was clutching her hands into a fist, watching Snape.

'You know how I think they choose people for the Gryffindor team?' said Malfoy loudly. 'It's people they feel sorry for. See, there's Potter, who's got no parents, then there's the Weasley, who've got no money – you should be on the team, Black, you've got a locked up father. Better yet, you too should be on the team Longbottom, you have no brains.'

Neville went bright red but turned in his seat to face Malfoy.

'I'm worth twelve of you, Malfoy,' he stammered.

'You tell his Neville,' said Arabella, as her knuckles started to turn white.

Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle howled with laughter.

'Longbottom, if brains were gold you'd be poorer than Weasley, and that's saying something.'

Ron's nerves were already stretched to breaking point with anxiety about Harry.

'I'm warning you, Malfoy – one more word –'

'Ron! Arabella!' said Hermione suddenly. 'Harry - !'

'What? Where?' they said at the same time.

Harry had suddenly gone into a spectacular dive, which drew gasps and cheers from the crowd. Hermione stood up, her fingers in her mouth as Harry streaked towards the ground like a bullet.

'You're in luck, Weasley, Potter's obviously spotted some money on the ground!' said Malfoy.

Ron snapped. Before Malfoy knew what was happening, Ron was on top of him, wrestling him to the ground. Crabbe and Goyle were about to pull Ron off of him, but Arabella turned and starting wrestling one of them Neville hesitated, then clambered over the back of his seat to help them.

'Come on, Harry!' Hermione screamed. She didn't even notice Malfoy and Ron rolling around under her seat, or the scuffles and yelps coming from the whirl of fists that was Arabella, Neville, Crabbe and Goyle.

Harry had pulled out of the dive, his arms raised in triumph, the Snitch clasped in his hand. The stands erupted; it had to be a record, no one could ever remember the Snitch being caught so quickly.

'Arabella! Ron! Where are you? The game's over! Harry's won! We've won! Gryffindor are in the lead!' shrieked Hermione, dancing up and down on her seat and hugging Parvati in the row in front.

* * *

'Harry, where have you _been_?' Hermione squeaked.

'We won! You won! We won!' shouted Ron, trumping Harry on the back. 'And I gave Malfoy a black eye and Arabella and Neville took on Crabbe and Goyle!'

'Really?' said Harry, turning to Arabella, who had a split lip and some blood on her collar.

'It's true! He's out cold but Madam Pomfrey says he'll be all right. Anyways, everyone's waiting for you in the common-room. We're having a party, Fred and George stole some cakes and stuff from the kitchens.

'Nevermind that now,' said Harry. 'Let's find an empty room, you wait 'til you hear this…'

He made sure Peeves wasn't inside before shutting the door behind them, then he told them what he'd seen and heard.

'So, we were right, it is the Philosopher's Stone, and Snape's trying to force Quirrell to help him get it. He asked if he knew how to get past Fluffy – and he said something about Quirrell's 'hocuspocus' – I reckon there are other things guarding the stone apart from Fluffy, loads of enchantments, probably, and Quirrell would have done some anti-Dark Arts spell which Snape needs to break through – '

'So you mean the Stone's only safe as long as Quirrell stands up to Snape?' said Hermione in alarm.

'It'll be gone by next Tuesday,' said Ron as Arabella groaned, face palming.

**Thank you for reading! Hope you liked it :)**


	11. Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback

**Hello! Sorry if this is a bit late. It's not one of my favorites. **

**Anyway, hope you like it. Tried my best. Enjoy! :)**

**disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, just Arabella :)**

Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback

Quirrell, however, must have been braver than they'd thought. In the weeks that followed he didn't look like he cracked yet. Every time they passed the third-floor corridors, Harry, Ron, Arabella and Hermione would press their ears to the door to check that Fluffy was still growling inside. Whenever Harry and Arabella would pass Quirrell these days they would give him an encouraging smile, and Ron had started telling people off for laughing at Quirrell's stutter.

Hermione, however, had more on her mind than the Philosopher's Stone. She had started drawing up revision timetables and colour-coding all her notes. Harry, Ron and Arabella wouldn't have minded, but she kept nagging them to do the same.

'Hermione, the exams are ages away.'

'Ten weeks,' Hermione snapped. 'That's not ages, that's like a second to Nicolas Flamel.'

'But we're not six hundred years old,' Ron reminded her.

'Hermione, you need to relax. Stress is not going to help you. And plus you know everything, you don't need to revise that much,' said Arabella.

'Have you gone mad? 'I don't need to revise'? You do realise we need to pass these exams to get into the second year? They're very important, I should have started studying a month ago, I don't know what's got into me…

'I've noticed that you haven't studied,' said Hermione, facing Arabella.

'I'll be fine,' said Arabella, shrugging it off.

'But you need to study! You can't fail!' said Hermione.

'Yeah, yeah, don't worry about me,' said Arabella. Hermione huffed.

Unfortunately, the teachers seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Hermione. They piled so much homework on them that the Easter Holidays weren't nearly as much fun as the Christmas ones. It was hard to relax with Hermione next to you reciting the twelve uses of dragon's blood or practicing wand movements.

Her and Arabella got into a fight two times because of this. They agreed that they would never sit together when they studied.

'I'll never remember this,' Ron burst out on afternoon in the library.

Harry didn't look up from _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_ until her heard Ron say, 'Hagrid! What are you doing in the library?'

Hagrid shuffled into view, hiding something behind his back. He looked very out of place.

'Jus' lookin',' he said, in a shifty voice that got their interest at once. 'An' what're you lot up ter?' He looked suddenly suspicious. 'Yer not still lookin' fer Nicolas Flamel, are yeh?'

'Oh, we found out who he was ages ago. And we know what that dog's guarding, it's a Philosopher's St -'

'Shhhhh!' said Hagrid as Arabella hit Ron over the head. 'Don' go shoutin' about it, what's the matter with yeh?'

'There are a few things we wanted to ask you, as a matter of fact,' said Harry, 'about what's guarding the Stone apart from Fluffy – '

'SHHHH!' said Hagrid again as Arabella also hit his head, giving him a glare. 'Listen – come an' see me later, I'm not promisin' I'll tell yeh anythin', mind, but don' go rabbitin' about it in here, students aren' s'pposed ter know. They'll think I've told yeh –'

'See you later, then,' said Harry as he was rubbing the back of his head.

Hagrid shuffled off.

'What was that for?' said Harry as he turned to Arabella.

'Don't talk about _it _in public! What if Snape hears you?' said Arabella, narrowing her eyes at him and Ron.

'Fine, fine,' mumbled Harry and Ron.

Arabella nodded with a smirk on her face.

'What was Hagrid hiding behind his back?' said Hermione.

'Do you think it has something to do with the Stone?' said Harry.

'I'm going to see what section he was in,' said Ron. He came back a minute later with a pile of books in his arms and slammed them down on the table.

'_Dragons!_' he whispered. 'Hagrid was looking up stuff about dragons! Look at these!'

'Hagrid always wanted a dragon, he told me so the first time I ever met him,' said Harry.

'But it's unsafe. It's nearly impossible to control. Hagrid couldn't have gotten a dragon,' said Arabella, looking at some of the books.

'And it's against our laws,' said Ron. 'Dragon breeding was outlawed by the Warlocks' Convention of 1709, everyone knows that. It's hard to stop the Muggles from noticing us if we're keeping dragons in the back garden. Arabella's right, they're also untameable. You should see the burns on Charlie's arms.

'But there aren't wild dragons in _Britain_?' said Harry.

'There are some, but the Ministry has put some spell and some security on them if they ever see one or come into contact with one,' said Arabella.

'So what on earth's Hagrid up to?' said Hermione.

* * *

When they knocked on Hagrid's door an hour later, they were surprised to see that all the curtains were closed. Hagrid opened the door to let them in before quickly shutting it behind them.

It was hot inside. Hagrid made them tea and offered them stoat sandwiches, which they refused.

'So – yeh wanted to ask me somthin'?'

'Yes,' said Harry. 'We were wondering if you could tell us what's guarding the Philosopher's Stone apart from Fluffy.'

Hagrid frowned at him.

'O' course I can't,' he said. 'Number one, I don' know meself. Number two, yeh know too much already, so I wouldn' tell yeh if I could. That Stone's here fer a good reason. It was almost stolen outta Gringotts – I s'ppose yeh've worked that out an' all? Beats me how yeh even know abou' Fluffy.'

'Oh, come on, Hagrid, you might not want to tell us, but you _do _know, you know everything that goes on round here,' said Hermione in a warm flattering voice. Harry could see in the corner of his eyes Arabella trying to not laugh behind her hands. Hagrid's beard twitched and they could tell he was smiling.

'We only wondered who had _done _the guarding, really,' Hermione went on. 'We wondered who Dumbledore had trusted enough to help him apart from you.'

'Well, I don' s'ppose it could hurt ter tell yeh that… let's see… he borrowed Fluffy from me… then some o' the teachers did enchantments… Professor Sprout – Professor Flitwick – Professor McGonagall – ' he ticked them off on his fingers, 'Professor Quirrell – an' Dumbledore himself did somethin', o' course. Hang on, I've forgotten someone, Oh yeah, Professor Snape.'

'_Snape?_' said Arabella, disgusted. 'He trusts _Snape _with guarding the Stone?'

'O' course he trusts Snape with the Stone. He's not about ter steal it, he's protecting the Stone.'

Harry knew that they were all thinking the same thing. If Snape had been protecting the Stone, it must have been easy to find out how the other teachers had guarded it.

'You're the only one who knows how to get past Fluffy, aren't you, Hagrid?' said Harry anxiously. 'And you wouldn't tell anyone, wouldn't you? Not even one of the teachers?'

'Not a soul knows except me an' Dumbledore,' said Hagrid proudly.

'That's great,' muttered Arabella. 'Can we open a window or something? It's boiling in here.'

'Can't Arabella, sorry,' said Hagrid and he glanced at the fire.

'Hagrid – what's that?' said Harry, pointing towards the fire where underneath the kettle was a huge, black egg.

'Where did you get it, Hagrid?' said Ron, crouching over the fire to get a closer look at the egg. 'It must have cost you a fortune.'

'Won it,' said Hagrid. 'Las' night. I was down in the village havin' a few drinks an' got into a game o' cards with a stranger. Think he was quite glad ter get rid of it, ter be honest.'

'What are you going to do with it when it's hatched?' said Hermione.

'Well, I've bin doin' some readin',' said Hagrid. 'Keep the dragon in the fire, 'cause their mothers breath on 'em, see, and when it hatches, feed it on a bucket o' brandy mixed – '

'Hagrid that's great and all, but you live in a wooden house,' said Arabella, stressing out each word. 'This is a dragon. Do you understand what I'm saying?'

Hagrid didn't seem to be listening to her as he was humming merrily as he stroked the fire.

* * *

Now they had something else to worry about: what might happen to Hagrid if anyone found out he was hiding an illegal dragon in his hut.

'Wonder what it's like to have a peaceful life,' Ron sighed, as evening after evening the struggled through all the extra homework they were getting. Hermione had started making revision timetables for Harry, Ron and Arabella. It was driving them mad. Arabella threw hers out when Hermione wasn't looking.

One breakfast Hedwig brought Harry another note from Hagrid with two words on it: _It's hatching._

Ron wanted to skip Herbology and go straight down to the hut. Hermione wouldn't hear of it.

'Hermione, how many times are we going to see a dragon hatching?'

'We've got lessons, we'll get into trouble, and that's nothing to what Hagrid's going to be in when someone finds out what he's doing – '

'Shut up!' Harry and Arabella whispered.

Malfoy was only a few feet away and stopped to listen.

Ron and Hermione argued all the way to Herbology with Harry and Arabella behind them. In the end, Hermione agreed to run down to Hagrid's with the other three during morning break. When the bell rang at the end of their lesson, they dropped off their books and made their way to Hagrid's hut.

'It's nearly out,' he ushered them in.

The egg was lying on the table. There were deep cracks in it.

All at once there was a scraping noise and the egg split open. The baby dragon flopped on to the table. It wasn't exactly pretty. Harry thought it looked like a crumpled, black umbrella. Its spiny wings were huge compared to its skinny jet body and it had a long snout with wide nostrils, stubs of horns and bulging, orange eyes.

It sneezed. A couple of sparks flew out of its snout.

'Isn't he beautiful?' Hagrid murmured. He reached out a hand to stroke the dragon's head. It snapped at his fingers, showing pointed fangs.

'Bless him, look, he knows his mummy!' said Hagrid.

'Hagrid,' said Hermione, 'How fast do Norwegian Ridgebacks grow, exactly?'

Hagrid was about to answer when the colour suddenly drained from his face – he leapt to his feet and ran to the window.

'What's the matter?'

'Someone was lookin' through the gap in the curtains – it's a kid – he's runnin' back up ter the school.'

Harry and Arabella bolted to the door and looked out. Even at a distance there was no mistaking him.

Malfoy had seen the dragon.

* * *

Something about the smile lurking on Malfoy's face during the next week made Harry, Ron, Arabella and Hermione very nervous.

'I wished he would do something or taunt us like how he used to. This is just creepy,' said Arabella, looking around her shoulders in the library.

'Just ignore it. Pretend like you don't know anything,' said Ron.

They spent most of their time now in Hagrid's hut, trying to reason with him.

'Just let him go,' Harry urged. 'Set him free.'

'I can't,' said Hagrid. 'He's too little. He'd die.'

'He's not that little,' murmured Arabella.

'I've decided to call him Norbert,' said Hagrid, looking at the dragon with misty eyes. 'He really knows me now, watch. Norbert! Norbert! Where's Mummy?'

'He's lost his marbles,' Ron muttered in Harry's ear.

'Hagrid,' said Arabella loudly, 'you can't keep Norbert. He's a _dragon_. He's going to keep growing until he's as big as your house. And Malfoy could go to Dumbledore at any moment and tell him about this. We don't want you to get into trouble, Hagrid.'

'I – I know I can't keep him for ever, but I can't jus' dump him, I can't'

Harry suddenly turned to Ron.

'Charlie,' he said.

'You're losing it too. I'm Ron, remember?'

'No – Charlie – your brother Charlie. In Romania. Studying dragons. We could send Norbert to him. Charlie can take care of him and then put his back into the wild or something.'

'Brilliant!' said Ron 'How about it, Hagrid?'

In the end, Hagrid agreed that they could send an owl to Charlie to ask him.

* * *

Wednesday night found Hermione and Harry sitting alone in the common room, long after everyone else had gone to bed. The clock on the wall had just chimed midnight when the portrait hole burst open. Ron and Arabella appeared out of nowhere as they pulled off Harry's Invisibility Cloak. They had been down at Hagrid's hut, helping him feed Norbert.

'It bit me!' said Ron, showing them his hand, which was wrapped in a bloody handkerchief. 'That dragon's the most horrible animal I've ever met, but the way Hagrid goes on about it, you'd think it was a fluffy little bunny rabbit.'

'What did he say when he bit you?' said Hermione.

'He told Ron off for frightening it,' said Arabella, who didn't have any bit marks. 'When we left, he was signing a lullaby.'

There was a tap on the dark window.

'It's Hedwig! She'll have Charlie's answer!'

The four of them put their heads together to read the note.

_Dear Ron,_

_How are you? Thanks for the letter – I'd be glad to take the Norwegian Ridgeback, but it won't be easy getting him here. I think the best thing will be to send him over with some friends of mine who are coming to visit me next week. Trouble is, they mustn't be seen carrying an illegal dragon. Could you get the Ridgeback up the tallest tower at midnight on Saturday? They can meet you there and take him away while it's still dark. _

_Send me an answer as soon as possible. _

_Love, Charlie. _

They looked at each other.

'We've got the Invisibility Cloak,' said Harry. 'It shouldn't be too difficult – I think the Cloak's big enough to cover us and Norbert.'

* * *

The next morning Ron's bitten hand had swollen to twice its usual size. By the afternoon the cut turned a nasty shade of green. It looked as though Norbert's fangs were poisonous. He went to Madam Pomfrey.

Harry, Arabella and Hermione rushed up to the hospital wing at the end of the day to find Ron in a terrible state in bed.

'It's not just my hand, although it feels like it's about to fall off. Malfoy told Madam Pomfrey he wanted to borrow one of my books so he could come and have a good laugh at me. He kept threatening to tell her what really bit me – I've told her it was a dog but I don't think she believes he – I shouldn't have hit him at the Quidditch match, that's why he's doing this,' whispered Ron.

Harry, Arabella and Hermione tried to calm Ron down.

'It'll all be over at midnight on Saturday. Norbert will go to Romania and Malfoy won't have anything on us,' said Arabella, but that didn't seem to soothe him at all. He sat bolt upright and broke into a sweat.

'Midnight on Saturday!' he said in a hoarse voice. 'Oh no – oh no – I've just remembered – Charlie's letter was in that book Malfoy took, he's going to know we're getting rid of Norbert.'

They didn't get a chance to answer as Madam Pomfrey came over at that moment and made them leave, saying Ron needed sleep.

* * *

'It's too late to change the plan now,' Harry told Arabella and Hermione. 'We haven't got time to send Charlie another owl and this could be our only chance to get rid of Norbert. We'll have to risk it. And we _have _got the Invisibility Cloak, Malfoy doesn't know about that.'

'I don't know Harry, just seems like something bad is going to happen,' said Arabella.

'I know, but it's our only chance. If something happens, we can just hide under the cloak,' said Harry. Arabella nodded.

They found Fang sitting outside when they went to tell Hagrid, who opened a window to talk to them.

'I won't let you in,' he said. 'Norbert's at a tricky stage – nothin' I can't handle.'

'He's a dragon. He's always in a tricky stage,' Arabella said under her breathe.

When they told him about Charlie's letter, his eyes filled with tears, although that might have been because Norbert had just bitten him on the leg.

'Aargh! It's all right, he only got my boot – jus' playin' – he's only a baby, after all.'

The baby banged its tail on the wall, making the windows rattle. Harry, Arabella and Hermione walked back to the castle, feeling Saturday couldn't come quickly enough.

* * *

It was a very dark, cloudy night and they were a bit late arriving at Hagrid's hut because they'd had to wait for Peeves to get out of their way in the Entrance Hall, where he'd been playing tennis against the wall.

Hagrid had Norbert packed and ready in a large basket. He handed it to Arabella.

'He likes yer. He didn' bit yer. There's a cover that he won' be able to get by,' Hagrid told her in a muffled voice. 'He's got lots o' rats an' some brandy fer the journey. An' I've packed his teddy bear in case he gets lonely.'

From inside the basket came ripping noises that sounded to them as though teddy was having his head torn off. Arabella's eyes widened, looking at Harry and Hermione with a terrified look.

'Bye-bye, Norbert!' Hagrid sobbed, as they covered themselves with the cloak. 'Mummy will never forget you!'

How Arabella managed to get the basket back up to the castle without getting hurt, they will never know. They moved up staircase after staircase, trying not to get caught despite being covered in the cloak.

'Nearly there,' Harry told Arabella, who had sweat all over her face.

A sudden movement ahead of them made Arabella almost drop the basket. They shrank into the shadows, staring at the dark outlines of two people grappling with each other ten feet away.

Professor McGonagall had Malfoy by the ear.

'Detention!' she shouted. 'And twenty points from Slytherin! Wandering around the middle of the night, how _dare_ you –'

'You don't understand, professor, Harry Potter's coming – he's got a dragon!'

'What utter rubbish! How dare you tell such lies! Come on – O shall see Professor Snape about you. Malfoy!'

The steep staircase up to the tower seemed the easiest thing in the world to Arabella after that. They reached the cold air surrounding them and took off the cloak. Arabella seemed glad to put down the basket, able to properly breathe again. Hermione did a sort of jig while Arabella was crouched down holding her sides, panting.

'Malfoy's got detention! I could sing!'

'Don't,' Harry advised her.

Chuckling about Malfoy, they waited, Norbert trashed around in his basket. About ten minutes later, four broomsticks came swooping down out of the darkness.

Charlie's friends were a cheery lot. They showed Harry, Arabella and Hermione the harness they'd rigged up, so they could suspend Norbert between them. They put some spells that seemed to put Norbert to sleep and buckled him safely in the harness. They shook Harry, Arabella and Hermione's hand and thanked them very much.

At last, Norbert was gone.

They slipped back down the spiral staircase, their hearts as light as their hands, now that Norbert was off them. No more dragon – Malfoy in detention – what could spoil their happiness?

The answer to that was waiting at the foot of the stairs. As they stepped into the corridor, Filch's face loomed suddenly out of the darkness.

'Well, well, well,' he whispered, 'we _are _in trouble.'

They'd left the Invisibility Cloak on top of the tower.

**Thank you for reading! Hope you liked it :)**


	12. The Forbidden Forest

**disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, sadly. JK Rowling does. I have nothing... except for Arabella :)**

**Enjoy! Hope you like it :)**

The Forbidden Forest

Things could not have been worse.

Filch took them down to Professor McGonagall's study on the first floor, where they sat and waited without saying a word to each other. Hermione was trembling and Arabella was gripping Harry's arm. He didn't say anything. When Professor McGonagall appeared, she was flowed by Neville.

'Harry!' Neville burst out, the moment he saw them. 'I was trying to find you to warn you, I heard Malfoy saying he was going to catch you, he said you had a drag-'

Harry shook his head as Arabella seemed to tighten her fingers. Professor McGonagall was towering over the four of them.

'I would never have believed it of any of you. Mr Filch says you were up the astronomy tower. It's one o'clock in the morning. _Explain yourselves._'

It was the first time Hermione had ever failed to answer a teacher's question. She was staring at her slippers, as still as a statue. Arabella seemed to keep her grip on Harry's arm. He was sure there was going to be some marks when he looks later.

'I think I've got a good idea of what's been going on,' said Professor McGonagall. 'It doesn't take a genius to work it out. You fed Draco Malfoy some cock-and-bull story about a dragon, trying to get him out of bed and into trouble. I've already caught him. I suppose you think it's funny that Longbottom here heard the story and believed it, too?'

'Professor, that's not –'

'True, Miss Black? Then tell me what happened?' snapped Professor McGonagall.

'Well, um… we…,' stammered Arabella. Professor McGonagall was not impressed.

'I'm disgusted,' she said. 'Five students out of bed in one night! I've never heard of such a thing before! You, Miss Granger, I thought you had more sense. Miss Black, I thought you were better than your father. As for you, Mr Potter, I thought Gryffindor meant more to you than this. All four of you will receive detentions and fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor.'

'_Fifty?'_ Harry gasped – they would lose the lead, the lead he'd won in the last Quidditch match.

'Fifty points _each_,' said Professor McGonagall, breathing heavily through her long pointed nose.

'Professor – please –'

'You _can't –'_

'Don't tell me what I can and can't do, Potter. Now get back to bed, all of you. I've never been more ashamed of Gryffindor students.'

Two hundred points lost. That put Gryffindor in last place.

Harry didn't sleep all night. He could hear Neville sobbing into his pillow for what seemed like hours. What would happen when the rest of Gryffindor found out what they'd done?

At first, the Gryffindors thought that there was a mistake when there was a loss of two hundred points. Then the story spread: Harry Potter had lost them all these points with Arabella Black and two other stupid first-years.

From being one of the most popular and admired people at the school, Harry was suddenly the most hated. Everywhere they went people pointed at him and didn't lower their voices as they insulted him. Arabella seemed to be in the same boat as Harry. Insults followed her everywhere she went, saying things about her father and how she's going to end up just like him. She didn't have the heart to tell them off. Slytherins would clap as they passed by them, whistling and clapping.

Only Ron stood by them.

'They'll all forget this in a few weeks. Fred and George have lost loads of points in all the time they've been here, and people still like them.'

'Did they lose two hundred points all in one shot?' said Arabella miserably.

'Well – no,' Ron admitted.

It was a bit late to repair the damage, but Harry swore to himself not to meddle in things that weren't his business from now on.

Hermione and Neville were suffering, too. They didn't have a bad a time as Harry or Arabella, but nobody was speaking to them either. Hermione had stopped drawing attention to herself in class, keeping her head down and working in silence.

Harry was almost glad that the exams weren't far away. All the revision he had to do kept his mind off his misery. He, Ron, Arabella and Hermione kept to themselves, working late into the night, trying to remember complicated potions, learning the charms and spells off by heart and other things that made their heads hurt.

A week before exams were about to start, Harry and Arabella were walking back from the library one afternoon when they heard somebody whimpering from a classroom up ahead. As they drew closer, they heard Quirrell's voice.

'No – no – not again, please – '

It sounded as though someone was threatening him. Harry and Arabella moved closer.

'All right – all right –' they heard Quirrell sob.

Next second, Quirrell came hurrying out of the classroom, straightening his turban. They waited until Quirrell's footsteps had disappeared when Arabella looked into the classroom.

'Weird – it's empty.'

'Let's go. I promised myself that I wouldn't meddle in things anymore. You should do the same,' said Harry.

'Okay, okay.'

They walked back to the library where Hermione was testing Ron on Astronomy. They told them what they heard.

'Snape's done it, then!' said Ron. 'If Quirrell's told them how to break his Anti-Dark Force spell –'

'There's still Fluffy, though,' said Hermione.

'Maybe Snape's found out how to get past him without asking Hagrid,' said Ron. 'I bet there's a book somewhere in here, telling you how to get past a giant three-headed dog. So what do we do, Harry?'

Hermione answered before Harry could.

'Go to Dumbledore. That's what we should have done ages ago,' said Hermione.

'We can't go to Dumbledore. He trusts Snape. We'll just be wasting our time. And if Dumbledore believes us, we don't have any proof. Quirrell's got no back bone to back us up against Snape,' said Arabella.

'But we can't try anything ourselves, we'll be thrown out for sure.'

'If we do a bit of poking around – ' said Ron.

'No,' said Harry, 'we've done enough poking around.'

* * *

The following morning, notes were delivered to Harry, Arabella, Hermione and Neville at the breakfast table. They were all the same:

_Your detention will take place at eleven o'clock tonight. Meet Mr Filch in the Entrance Hall. Prof. M. McGonagall. _

At eleven o'clock they said goodbye to Ron in the common room and went down to the entrance hall with Neville. Filch was already there with Malfoy.

'Follow me,' said filch, lighting a lamp and leading them outside. 'I bet you'll think twice about breaking a school rule again, won' you, eh? Oh yes… hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me… It's just a pity they let the old punishments die out… hang you by the wrists from the ceiling for a few days, I've got the chains still in my office… Right, off we go, and don't think of running off, now, it'll be worse for you if you do.'

They marched off across the dark grounds. Ahead, Harry could see the windows of Hagrid's hut lighted up.

'Is that you, Filch? Hurry up, I want ter get started,' shouted Hagrid.

Harry's heart rose; if they were going to be working with Hagrid it wouldn't be so bad. His relief must have showed in his face, because Filch said, 'I suppose you think you'll be enjoying yourself with that oaf? Well, think again, boy – it's into the Forest you're going and I'm much mistaken if you'll come out in one piece.'

At this, Neville let out a little moan and Malfoy stopped dead in his tracks.

'The forest,' he repeated. 'We can't go in there at night – there's all sorts of things in there – werewolves, I heard.'

'Scared Malfoy?' jeered Arabella with a smirk. 'Is little Malfoy scared of the Forest?'

'Shut up Black. I'm not scared,' sneered Malfoy.

Arabella laughed and continued to smirk. Hermione turned to Arabella.

'Aren't you scared of werewolves Arabella?' whispered Hermione, so that only the three of them could hear.

'Not really, no,' said Arabella, with a small smile towards Hermione.

Hagrid came striding towards them out of the dark, Fang at his heel. He was carrying his large crossbow, and a quiver of arrows hung over his shoulders.

'Abou' time,' he said. 'I bin waitin' fer half an hour already. All right, Harry, Arabella, Hermione?'

'I shouldn't be too friendly to them, Hagrid,' said Filch coldly, 'they're here to be punished, after all.'

'That's why yer late, is it?' said Hagrid, frowning at Filch. 'bin lecturin' them, eh? 'Snot you place ter do that. Yeh've done yer bit, I'll take over from here.'

'I'll be back at dawn, for what's left of them,' said Filch, turning away and walking back towards the castle.

Malfoy turned to Hagrid.

'I'm not going in that Forest,' he said and Harry was pleased to hear the note of panic in his voice.

'Yeh are if yeh want ter stay at Hogwarts,' said Hagrid fiercely. 'Yeh've done wring an' now yeh've got ter pay fer it.'

'But this is servant stuff, it's not for students to do. It thought we'd be writing line or something –'

'Oh, shut up Malfoy,' snapped Arabella. 'Let's just get this over with.'

Malfoy threw her a nasty glare. Hagrid nodded approvingly towards her.

'Right then,' said Hagrid, 'now, listen carefully, 'cause it's dangerous what we're gonna do tonight an' I don' want no one takin' risks. Follow me over here a moment.'

He led them to the very edge of the Forest. Holding his lamp up high he pointed down a narrow track that went into the Forest.

'Look there,' said Hagrid, 'see that stuff shinin' on the ground? Silvery stuff? That's unicorn blood. There's a unicorn in there bin hurt badly by summat. This is the second time in a week. I found one dead last Wednesday. We're gonna try an' find the poor thing. We might have ter put it our if its misery.'

'And what if whatever hurt the unicorn finds us first?' said Malfoy, unable to keep the fear out of his voice.

'There's nothin' that lives in the Forest that'll hurt yeh if yer with me or Fang,' said Hagrid. 'An' keep ter the path. Right, now, we're gonna split inter two parties an' follow the trail in diff'rent directions. There's blood all over the place, it must've bin staggerin' around since last night at least.'

'I want Fang,' said Malfoy, quickly, looking at fang's long teeth.

'All right, but I warn yeh, he's a coward,' said Hagrid. 'So me, Harry an' Hermione'll go one way and' Arabella, Draco, Neville an' Fang'll go the other. Now, if any of us finds the unicorn, we'll send up green sparks, right? Get yer wands out an' practise now – that's it – an' if anyone gets in trouble, send up red sparks, an' we'll all come an' find yeh – so, be careful – let's go.'

The Forest was black and silent. A little way into it they reached a fork in the earth path and Harry, Hermione and Hagrid took the left path while Arabella, Malfoy, Neville and Fang took the right.

* * *

'Hagrid! Look! Red sparks, the others are in trouble!'

'You two wait here!' Hagrid shouted. 'Stay on the path, I'll come back for yeh!'

They heard him crashing away through the undergrowth and stood looking at each other, very scared, until they couldn't hear anything but the rustling of leaves around them.

'You don't think they've been hurt, do you?' whispered Hermione.

I don't care if anything happened to Malfoy, but if something's got Arabella or Neville…'

The minutes dragged by. At last, a great crunching noise announced Hagrid's return. Arabella, Malfoy, Neville and Fang were with him. Hagrid was fuming. Arabella looked like she was about to punch Malfoy. Malfoy, it seemed, had sneaked up behind Neville and grabbed him for a joke. Neville had panicked and sent up the sparks.

'Right, we're changin' groups – Neville, you stay with me an' Hermione. Harry, you go with Arabella, Fang an' this idiot. He'll have a harder time frightening you, an' we've gotta get this done.'

So Harry set off into the Forest with Arabella, Malfoy and Fang.

'Honestly, that idiot. It's now going to harder to catch whatever we're trying to find thanks to him,' said Arabella, glaring towards Malfoy.

'Look –' murmured Harry, holding out his arm to stop Arabella, gaining Malfoy's attention.

Something bright white was on the ground. They moved closer. It was a unicorn, and it was dead. It looked as beautiful and sad.

Arabella took a step closer to inspect it, when a slithering sound made Harry grad her left arm. The three of them froze where they were standing. Then, out of the shadows, a hooded figure came crawling across the ground like some stalking beast. The figure reached the unicorn, it lowered its head over the wound in the animal's side, and began to drink its boll.

'AAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!'

Malfoy left out a terrible scream and bolted – so did Fang. Arabella moved closer to Harry, clutching onto his arm. The hooded figure raised its head and looked right at them – unicorn blood was dripping down its front. It got to its feet and came swiftly towards them – they didn't move for fear.

Then a pain pierced his head like he'd never felt before. He staggered backwards.

'Harry!' screamed Arabella, holding on to Harry as he fell to his knees.

He heard hooves behind them, galloping, and something jumped clean over them, charging at the figure.

The pain took a minute or two to pass. When he looked up he saw behind Arabella he didn't see the hooded figure. A centaur was standing over them. This one had white-blond hair and a palomino body.

'Are you alright?' said the centaur as Arabella was helping Harry to his feet.

'Yes – thank you – what was that?'

The centaur didn't answer. He looked carefully at Harry, his eyes lingering on the scar which stood out on his forehead.

'You are the Potter boy,' he said. He looked at Arabella. 'You look familiar. What's your mother's name?'

'Kassandra,' said Arabella

'Kassandra Anastas's daughter?' he asked. Arabella nodded. 'I had the pleasure of meeting your mother here in this Forest. She got lost one time and needed help back. She was a kind human. You look like her.'

Arabella nodded, at lost for words.

'You two had better get back to Hagrid. The Forest is not safe at this time – especially for the two of you. Can you both ride? It will be quicker this way.

'My name is Firenze,' he added, as he lowered himself in to his front legs so that they could clamber on to his back.

* * *

'Harry Potter, Arabella Black, do you know what unicorn blood is used for?'

'No,' said Harry, startled by the odd question.

'Yes,' said Arabella. 'It can keep you alive, even if you were a second away from death.'

'How do you know this?' asked Harry.

'Uncle Remus has a lot of books on things like this. I occasionally flip through them,' said Arabella, shrugging her shoulders.

'Correct Arabella Black. It is a monstrous thing, to slay a unicorn,' said Firenze. 'Only one who had nothing to lose and everything to gain, would commit such a crime. The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are an inch away from death, but at a terrible price. You have slain something pure and defenceless to save yourself and you will have but a half life, a cursed life, from the moment the blood touches your lips.'

'But who would be that desperate?' wondered Harry. 'If you're going to be cursed forever, death's better, isn't it?'

'It is,' Firenze agreed, 'unless all you need is to stay alive long enough to drink something else – something that will bring you back to full strength and power – something that will mean you can never die.'

'The Philosopher's Stone! Of course – the Elixir of Life! But I don't understand who –'

'Can you not think of nobody who has waited many years to return to power, who has clung to life, awaiting their chance?'

'You mean,' said Arabella, who had suddenly paled, 'that the thing we just saw was _Vol _– '

'Harry! Arabella! Are you all right?'

Hermione was running towards them down the path, Hagrid puffing along beside her.

'Fine, fine,' said Harry, hardly knowing what he was saying. 'The unicorn's dead Hagrid, it's in that clearing back there.'

'This is where I leave you,' Firenze murmured as Hagrid hurried off to examine the unicorn. 'The two of you are safe now.'

Harry and Arabella slid off his back.

'Good luck, Harry Potter, Arabella Black,' said Firenze. 'The planets have been read wrongly before mow, even by centaurs. I hope this is one of those times.'

He hurried back into the depths of the Forest, leaving behind Harry and Arabella shivering.

'You ok?' asked Harry.

'No. You?' said Arabella.

'No.'

* * *

Ron had fallen asleep on the common room, waiting for them to return. He shouted something about Quidditch fouls when Harry roughly shook him awake. In a matter of seconds, though, he was wide-eyed as Harry and Arabella began to tell him and Hermione what happened in the Forest.

Arabella was sitting beside Hermione with her knees to her chest and her eyebrows in a frown. Harry couldn't sit down. He paced up and down in front of the fire. They were both still shaking.

'Snape wants the stone for Voldemort… and Voldemort's waiting in the Forest… and all this time we thought Snape just wanted to get rich…'

'Stop saying the name!' said Ron is a terrified whisper, as if he thought Voldemort could hear them.

'Now's not the time to be worried about his name Ron!' snapped Arabella.

Harry wasn't listening to either of them.

'Firenze saved us, but he shouldn't have done… Bane was furious… he was talking about interfering with what the planets say is going to happen… they must show that Voldemort's coming back… bane thinks Firenze should have let Voldemort kill me and Arabella… I suppose that's written in the stars as well.'

'_Will you stop saying the name!_' Ron hissed.

'Ron! It's just a name!' exclaimed Arabella.

'So all I've got to wait for now is Snape to steal the Stone then Voldemort will be able to come and finish me off… Well, I suppose Bane'll be happy.'

Hermione looked very frightened, but she had a word of comfort.

'Harry, everyone says Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was ever afraid of. With Dumbledore around, You-Know-Who won't touch you. Anyway, who says the centaurs are right? It sounds like fortune-telling to me, and Professor McGonagall says that's a very imprecise branch of magic.'

They went back to bed exhausted. When Harry pulled back his sheets, he found his Invisibility Cloak folded neatly underneath them, there was a note pinned to it: _Just in case._

**Thank you for reading! It's not one of my favorites with the whole Forbidden Forest and the stars and the moons and all that stuff... Anyway, tried my best. **


	13. Through the Trapdoor

**disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, just Arabella.**

**Enjoy! Hope you like it :) Took forever to get it right. Lost my first copy and had to redo it all over again :(**

Through the Trapdoor

'That was far easier than I thought it would be,' said Hermione as they walked onto the grounds. 'I needn't have learnt about the 1637 Werewolf Code of Conduct or the uprising of Elfric the Eager.'

'Hermione, shut up,' moaned Arabella as she sat down on the grass. 'We all know that you passed. Let's just leave it at that.'

Hermione huffed.

'No more revision,' Ron signed happily, stretching out on the grass. 'You could look more cheerful, Harry, we've got a week before we find out how badly we've done, there's no need to worry yet.'

'It's not about the exams Ron,' said Arabella.

Harry was rubbing his head.

'I wish I knew what this means!' he burst out angrily. 'My scar keeps hurting – it's happened before, but never as often as this.'

'Go to Madam Pomfrey,' Hermione suggested.

'I'm not ill,' said Harry, 'I think it's a warning… it means danger's coming…'

'Go to Dumbledore,' mumbled Arabella.

'Harry, relax, the Stone's safe as long as Dumbledore's around. Anyway, we've never had any proof Snape found out how to get past Fluffy. He nearly had his leg ripped off once, he's not going to try it again in a hurry. And Neville will play Quidditch for England before Hagrid lets Dumbledore down.'

Harry nodded, but couldn't shake the feeling that he forgotten something, something important. Arabella saw distress in his face and came to sit beside him.

'Talk it out,' said Arabella.

'It all seems like some sort of coincidence or something. The dog, the dragon egg and…'

'And what?' said Arabella.

Harry jumped to his feet.

'Where're you going?' said Ron sleepily.

'I just thought of something,' said harry. 'We've got to go see Hagrid, now.'

'Why?' Hermione said as they all walked together towards Hagrid's hut.

'Don't you think it's a bit odd that what Hagrid wants more than anything else is a dragon, and a stranger turns up who just happens to have an egg in his pocket? How many people wander around with dragon eggs if it's against wizard law? Lucky they found Hagrid, don't you think? Why didn't I see it before?'

Harry started to sprint across the grounds towards the Forest. Hagrid was sitting in an armchair outside his house.

'Hullo,' he said, smiling. 'Finished yer exams? Got time fer a drink?'

'No, we're in a hurry. Hagrid, I've got to ask you something. You know the night you won Norbert? What did the stranger you were playing cards look like?'

'Dunno,' said Hagrid casually, 'he wouldn't take his cloak off.'

He saw the four of them look stunned and raised his eyebrows/

'It's not that unusual, yeh get a lot o' funny folk in the Hog's Head. Mighta bin a dragon dealer, mightn' he? I never saw his face, he kept his hood up.'

'Hagrid, did you talk to him about Hogwarts at all?' said Arabella.

'Yeah, told him I was gamekeeper her, he asked… He asked about the sorta creatures I look after… so I told him… an' I said what I'd really wanted was a dragon… an' then… yeah, then he said he had the dragon egg an' we could play cards fer it of I wanted… but he had ter be sure I could handle it, he didn't want it ter got ter any old home… So I told him, after Fluffy, a dragon would be easy…'

'And did he – did he seem interested in Fluffy?' Harry asked, trying to keep his voice calm.

'Well – yeah – how many three-headed dogs d'yeh meet, even around Hogwarts? So I told him, Fluffy's a piece o' cake if yeh know how to calm him down, jus' play him a bit o' music an' he'll go straight off ter sleep –'

Hagrid suddenly looked horrified.

'I shouldn'ta told yeh that!' he blurted out. 'Forget I said it! Hey – where're yeh goin'?'

Harry, Ron, Arabella and Hermione didn't speak to each other at all until they came to a halt in the Entrance Hall.

'We've got to go to Dumbledore,' said Harry. 'Hagrid told that stranger how to get past Fluffy and it was either Snape or Voldemort under the cloak – it must've been easy once he'd got Hagrid drunk. I just hope Dumbledore believes us. Firenze might back us up if Bane doesn't stop him. Where's Dumbledore's office?'

'What are the four of you doing inside?'

It was Professor McGonagall, carrying a large pile of books.

'We want to see Professor Dumbledore,' said Hermione.

'See Professor Dumbledore? Why?'

'It's sort of a secret,' said Harry.

'Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago,' she said coldly. 'He received an urgent owl from the Ministry of Magic and flew off for London at once.'

'He's gone?' said Harry. 'Now?'

'Professor Dumbledore is a very great wizard, Potter, he has many demands on his time –'

'But this is important.'

'Something you have to say is more impor –'

'It's about the Philosopher's Stone!' exclaimed Arabella.

The books Professor McGonagall was carrying tumbled out of her arms. She was looking at Arabella in a flabbergasted.

'Miss Black, how do you know – ' she spluttered.

'Professor, we know that _someone_ is going to try and steal the Stone. We have to talk to Professor McGonagall,' said Harry.

She eyed them with a mixture of shock and suspicion.

'Professor Dumbledore will be back tomorrow,' she said finally. 'I don't know how the four of you found out about the Stone, but rest assured no one can possibly steal it, it's too well protected.'

'But Professor –'

'Potter, I know what I'm talking about,' she said shortly. She bent down and gathered up the fallen books. 'I suggest you all go back outside and enjoy the sunshine.'

'But they didn't.

'It's tonight,' said Harry at once when he was sure Professor McGonagall was out of earshot. 'Snape's going through the trapdoor tonight. He's found out everything he needs and now he's got Dumbledore out of the way. He sent the note, I bet the Ministry of Magic will get a real shock when Dumbledore turns up.'

'But what can we –'

Hermione gasped. Harry, Ron and Arabella turned around.

Snape was standing there.

'Good afternoon,' he said.

They stared at him.

'You shouldn't be inside on a day like this,' he said, with an odd, twisted smile.

'There's no rule against students being inside the school. _Professor_,' said Arabella, sarcastically saying the last word.

Snape turned to Arabella and glared at her.

'I'm going to let that one slide Black. Gryffindor really can't afford to lose any more points, can they?'

Arabella flushed. They turned to go back outside, but Snape called them back.

'Be warned, Potter – any more night-time wandering and I will personally make sure you are expelled. Good day to you.'

He strode off in the direction of the staff room.

Out on the stone steps, Harry turned to the others.

'Right, here's what we've got to do,' he whispered urgently. 'Arabella and Hermione will keep an eye out on Snape – wait outside the staff room and follow him if he leaves it.'

'Why us?' asked Hermione.

'Arabella can annoy him some more,' said Ron. 'You can pretend to be waiting for Professor Flitwick, you know.' He put in a high voice, 'Oh Professor Flitwick, I'm so worried, I think I got question fourteen b wrong…'

'Oh, shut up,' snapped Hermione.

'That does sound like you 'Mione,' teased Arabella. They both agreed to go and watch out for Snape.

'Ron and I will stay outside the third-floor corridor,' said Harry. 'Let's go.'

They were about to reach the door on the third floor when Professor McGonagall turned up and lost her temper.

'I suppose you think you're harder to get past than a pack of enchantments! Enough of this nonsense! If I hear you've come anywhere near here again, I'll take fifty points from Gryffindor! Yes, Weasley, from my own house!'

Harry and Ron went back to the common room. Harry had just said, 'At least Arabella and Hermione are on Snape's tail,' when the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open. Arabella and Hermione came in.

'I'm sorry, Harry!' Hermione wailed. 'Snape came out and asked us what we were doing, so I said that we were waiting for Flitwick, and Snape went to get him, and we've only just got away. We don't know where he went.'

'Well, that's it the, isn't it?' Harry said.

The other three stared at him.

'I'm going out there tonight and I'm going to try and get to the Stone first.'

'You mad!' said Ron

'You can't! After what Professor McGonagall and Snape have said? You'll be expelled!' said Hermione.

'SO WHAT?' Harry shouted. 'Don't you understand? If Snape gets hold of the Stone, Voldemort's coming back! Haven't you heard what it was like when he was trying to take over? There won't be any Hogwarts to get expelled from! He'll flatten it, or turn it into a school for the Dark Arts! Losing points doesn't matter anymore, can't you see? D'you think he'll leave you and your families alone if Gryffindor win the House Cup? If I get caught before I can get to the Stone, well, I'll have to go back to the Dursleys and wait for Voldemort to find me there. It's only dying a bit later than I would have done, because I'm never going over to the Dark Side! I'm going through that trapdoor tonight and nothing you two say is going to stop me! Voldemort killed my parents, remember?'

He glared at them.

'Well I think it's a good idea,' said Arabella.

Harry stared at her.

'What? I do! We may be young for our age, but we've handled a troll and a dragon! Not many fully grown wizards can say that. And I don't want Voldemort to come back. If he comes back, so does his followers. They're almost as worse as him,' said Arabella, staring off into space.

'You're right,' said Hermione in a small voice. 'We have to stop this.'

'I'll use the Invisibility Cloak,' said Harry. 'It's just luck I got it back.'

'But will it cover all four of us?' said Ron.

'Oh, come off it, you don't think we'd let you go alone?'

'Of course not,' said Hermione. 'How do you think you'd get the Stone without us?'

'Face it, Harry,' said Arabella with a smirk. 'You're stuck with us.'

'But if we get caught, the three of you will be expelled, too.'

'Not if I can help it,' said Hermione grumpily. 'Flitwick told me in secret that I got a hundred and twelve percent on his exam. They can't throw me out after that.'

'Why do you look so grumpy? It's a hundred and twelve per cent!' said Ron.

'Because she,' said Hermione, pointing her finger at Arabella, who was smiling, 'got a ninety nine per cent!'

'So…,' said Ron, expecting more of an explanation.

'So! She barely studied!' exclaimed Hermione.

'Hey! I studied! Just not as much as you,' said Arabella. 'Hermione, relax. You got the top mark in our whole year!'

'Yeah…' trailed off Hermione with a bright smile.

'Anyway, we should be worrying about the Stone right now. 'Mione, how about me and you go through some of our books? It'll be helpful if we're facing against Snape,' said Arabella.

Hermione took Arabella's arm and marched towards their dormitory. Ron was staring after them.

'_Weird!'_

* * *

'What are you doing?' said a voice from the corner of the room.

Neville appeared from behind an armchair, clutching Trevor.

'Nothing Neville, nothing,' said Harry.

'You're going out again,' he said.

'Neville, we're not. Why don't you go to bed? We just want to stay up and chat some more, that's all,' said Arabella, giving Neville a smile.

'You're lying. I know you are Arabella. You can' go out, you'll get Gryffindor in even more trouble.'

'You don't understand, this is important,' said Harry.

'I won't let you do it,' said Neville, hurrying to stand in front of the portrait hole. 'I'll fight you!'

'You really want to do that Neville? It's four against one!' said Arabella. 'Please, just get away from the portrait hole. We won't get Gryffindor into trouble.'

'Neville, don't be an idiot –' said Ron.

'Don't call me an idiot!' said Neville. 'I don't think you should be breaking any more rules! And you were the one who told me to stand up to people!'

'Not us!' said Ron in exasperation. 'Neville, you don't know what you're doing.'

'Go on then, try and hit me!' said Neville, raising his fists. 'I'm ready!'

Harry turned to Hermione.

'Do something' he said desperately.

Hermione stepped forward.

'Neville,' she said, 'I'm really, really sorry about this.'

She raised her wand.

'_Petrificus Totalaus!'_ she cried, pointing it at Neville.

Neville's arms snapped to his sides. His legs sprang together. His whole body rigid, he sway where he stood and then fell flat on his face, stiff as a board.

Hermione ran to turn his over. Neville's jaws were jammed together so he couldn't speak. Only his eyes were moving, looking at them in horror.

'Nicely executed,' said Arabella.

'What have you done to him?' Harry whispered.

'It's the full Body-Bind,' said miserably. 'Oh, Neville, I'm so sorry.'

'We had to Neville, no time to explain,' said Harry.

'You'll understand later,' said Ron, as they stepped over his body and pulled the Invisibility Cloak over their bodies.

* * *

They were outside the third-floor corridor – and the door was already ajar.

'Well, there you are,' said Harry quietly. 'Snape's already got past Fluffy.'

Underneath the Cloak, Harry turned to the other three.

'If you want to go back, I won't blame you,' he said. 'You can take to Cloak, I won't need it now.'

'Don't be stupid,' said Ron.

'We're coming,' said Hermione.

'You're stuck with us,' said Arabella, 'for life.'

Harry pushed to door open.

As the door creaked, low, rumbling growls met their ears. All three of the dog's noses sniffed madly in their direction, even though it couldn't see them.

'What's that at its feet?' Hermione whispered.

'Looks like a harp,' said Ron. 'Snape must have left it there.'

'Harry, start playing the flute,' whispered Arabella.

Harry put Hagrid's flute to his lips and blew. It wasn't really a tune, but from the first note the beast's eyes began to droop. Harry hardly drew breath. Slowly, the dog's growls ceased – it tottered in its paws and fell to its knees, then it slumped to the ground, fast asleep.

'Keep playing,' Ron warned Harry ash they slipped out of the Cloak and slowly crept towards the trapdoor.

'I think we'll be able to pull the door open,' said Ron. 'Want to go first, Hermione?'

'No I do not!'

'Arabella?'

'Yeah, fine. Stay here,' said Arabella as she stepped carefully over the dog's legs. She bent down slowly and pulled the ring of the trapdoor open.

'What can you see?' Hermione said anxiously.

'Nothing. There's no ladder or anything. We'll just have to drop down.'

She continued to stare inside the trapdoor, trying to find anything.

'Well, here goes nothing,' said Arabella and without any warning, she jumped into the door.

They waited for a minute before they heard her voice.

'It's OK!' she called at them. 'You can jump!'

Ron and Hermione soon followed her. Harry was still playing when he was making his way to the trapdoor. He quickly dropped the flute and jumped.

'What's this stuff?' it felt as though he was sitting on some sort of plant.

'We must be miles under the school,' said Hermione.

'Lucky this plant thing's here, really,' said Ron.

'_Lucky!_' shrieked Hermione. 'Look at you!'

She struggled towards a damp wall. She had to struggle, the plant had started to twist around her ankles. As for Harry, Ron and Arabella, their legs had already been bound tightly without their notice.

'Stop moving!' Hermione ordered them. 'I know what this is – it's Devil's Snare!'

'Oh, I'm so glad we know what it's called, that's a great help,' snarled Ron, trying to stop the plant from curling around his neck.

'Shut up, I'm trying to remember how to kill it!' said Hermione.

'Hurry up! I can't breathe!' Harry gasped, wrestling with it as it curled around his chest.

'Hermione! Light a fire!' said Arabella, trying to stop it from curling around her stomach.

'Yes but there's no wood!' Hermione cried.

'HAVE YOU GONE MAD?' Ron bellowed. 'ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?'

'Oh, right!' said Hermione and she whipped her wand, muttered something and sent a jet of the blue flames towards the plant. Within a matter of seconds, they felt its grip loosening and they removed their bodies away from the plant.

Harry, Ron and Arabella joined Hermione next to the wall, trying to catch their breaths.

'Let's go, this way,' said Harry, pointing down a stone passageway.

'Can you hear something?' Ron whispered as they walked towards their only way forward.

Harry listened. A soft rustling and clinking seemed to be coming from up ahead.

'Do you think it's a ghost?'

'Better not be a dragon,' whispered Arabella.

'There's some light ahead – I can see something moving,' said Harry.

They reached the end of the passageway and saw before them a brilliantly lit chamber, its ceiling arching high above them. It was full of small, jewel-bright bird, fluttering and tumbling all around the room. On the opposite side of the chamber was a heaving wooden door.

They walked across the room and Harry pulled on the handle of the door but it was locked. They did everything they could to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. Not even when Hermione tried the Alohomora Charm.

'Guys! Look!' said Arabella, pointing up to above them. 'What are they?'

'They're not birds!' said Harry suddenly as he realized that they were glittering, 'they're keys! Winged keys – look carefully. So that must mean…' he looked around the chamber while the other three continued to squint at the flock of keys. '…Yes – look! Broomsticks! We've got to catch the key to the door!'

'But there are hundreds of them!'

Ron examined the lock on the door.

'We're looking for a big, old-fashioned one – probably silver, like a handle.'

They each seized a broomstick and kicked off into the air. After a couple of minutes of flying through the keys, he spotted a large sliver key that had a bent wing, as if it had already been caught and stuffed roughly into the keyhole.

'That one!' he called out to the other. 'That big one – there – no, there – with bright blue wings – the feather are all crumpled on one side.'

Ron went speeding in the direction that Harry was pointing, crashed into the ceiling and nearly fell of his broom.

'We've got to close in on it!' Harry called out, not taking his eyes off the key. 'Ron, you come at it from above – Arabella, Hermione, stay below and stop it going down – and I'll try and catch it. Right, NOW!'

Ron dived, Arabella and Hermione rocketed upwards, the key dodged them and Harry streaked after it. It sped towards the wall, Harry leant forward and with a nasty crunching noise, pinned it against the stone with one hand. Ron, Arabella and Hermione's cheers echoed around the high chamber.

'Youngest Seeker in a Century!' exclaimed Arabella as Harry rammed the key into the door and turned – it worked. The moment the lock had clicked open, the key took flight again, looking very battered now that it had been caught twice.

'Ready?' Harry asked the other three. They nodded. He pulled the door open.

As they stepped into the next chamber, lights suddenly came alive in the room to reveal an astonishing sight.

They were standing on the edge of a huge chessboard, behind the black chessmen, which were all taller than they were and carved from what looked like black stone. Facing them, way across the chamber, were the white pieces. They shivered slightly – the towering white chessmen had no face.

'Now what do we do?' Harry whispered.

'It's obvious, isn't it?' said Ron. 'We've got to play our way across the room.'

Behind the white pieces they could see another door.

'How?' said Hermione nervously.

'I think we're going to have to be chessmen,' said Ron.

He walked up to a black knight and put his hand out to touch the knight's horse. At once, the stone sprang to life. The horse pawed the ground and the knight turned his helmeted head to look down at Ron.

'Do we have to join you to get across?'

The black knight nodded. Ron turned back towards them.

'Now, don't be offended or anything, but none of you are that good at chess – '

'We're not offended,' said Harry quickly. 'Just tell us what to do.'

'Harry, you take the place of that bishop. Hermione, Arabella, you both go there instead of that castle. We've got to stay close, just in case. I'll be a knight'

The chess pieces seemed to have listened to Ron because a knight, a bishop and a castle turned their backs in the white pieces and walked off the board leaving three empty squares, which they took.

'White always plays first in chess,' said Ron, peering across the board. 'Yes ... look ...'

A white pawn had moved forward two squares.

Ron started to direct the black pieces. They moved silently wherever he sent them. Harry's knees were trembling. What if they lost?

'Harry – move diagonally four squares to the right.'

Their first real shock came when their other knight was taken. The white queen smashed him to the floor and dragged him off the board, where he lay quite still, face down.

'Had to let that happen,' said Ron, looking shaken. 'Leaves you free to take that bishop, Hermione, Arabella, go on.'

Every time one of their men was lost, the white pieces showed no mercy. Soon there was a huddle of limp black players slumped along the wall. Twice, Ron only just noticed in time that Harry, Arabella and Hermione were in danger. He himself darted around the board taking almost as many white pieces as they had lost black ones.

'We're nearly there,' he muttered suddenly. 'Let me think – let me think ...'

The white queen turned her blank face towards him.

'Yes ...' said Ron softly, 'it's the only way ... I've got to be taken.'

'NO!' Harry, Arabella and Hermione shouted.

'That's chess!' snapped Ron. 'You've got to make some sacrifices! I'll make my move and she'll take me – that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry!'

'But –'

'Do you want to stop Snape or not?'

'Ron –'

'Look, if you don't hurry up, he'll already have the Stone!'

There was nothing else for it.

'Ready?' Ron called, his face pale but determined. 'Here I go – now, don't hang around once you've won.'

He stepped forward and the white queen pounced. She struck Ron hard around the head with her stone arm and he crashed to the floor – Hermione screamed and Arabella was about to make her way to him before Hermione pulled her back. The white queen dragged Ron over to one side. He looked as if he'd been knocked out.

Shaking, Harry moved three spaces to the left.

The white king took off his crown and threw it at Harry's feet. They had won. They chessmen parted and bowed, leaving the door ahead clear. With one desperate look back at Ron, Harry, Arabella and Hermione charged through the door and up the next passageway.

'What it he's - ?'

'He'll be alright,' said Harry, trying to convince himself. 'What do you reckon's next?'

'Either Snape or Quirrell,' said Arabella.

They had reached another door.

'All right?' Harry whispered. Arabella and Hermione nodded their heads.

'Go on.'

Harry pushed it open.

A disgusting smell filled their nostrils, making them pull their robes over their noses. They saw flat on the floor in front of them, a troll even larger than the one they had tackled, out cold with a bloody lump on its head.

'I'm glad we didn't have to fight that one,' whispered Harry, as they stepped carefully over on if its legs. 'Come on, I can't breathe.'

He pulled open the next door. There was nothing very frightening in there, just a table with seven differently shaped bottles standing on it in a line.

'Snape,' said Harry. 'What do we have to do?'

They stepped over the threshold and immediately a fire sprang up behind them in the doorway. It wasn't ordinary fire either; it was purple. At the same instant, black flames shot up in the doorway leading onwards. They were trapped.

'Not bad. Even for Snape,' said Arabella, looking at their surroundings.

'What do you mean?' said Harry.

'He made a challenge, or whatever you would like to call it, and if you were to fail at it, you would be trapped here forever. You can't just go through the fire, you need some sort of potion or antidote that will make you invincible to the flames,' said Arabella sounding impressed.

'Look!' Hermione seized a roll of paper lying next to the bottles. Harry and Arabella looked over her shoulder to read it:

_Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind, _

_Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,_

_One among us seven will let you move ahead,_

_Another will transport the drinker back instead,_

_Two among our number hold only nettle wine,_

_Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line._

_Choose, unless you wish to stay here for evermore,_

_To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:_

_First, however slyly the poison tries to hide_

_You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;_

_Second, different are those who stand at either end,_

_But if you would move onwards, neither is your friend;_

_Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,_

_Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;_

_Fourth, the second left and the second on the right_

_Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight._

Hermione let out a great sigh and saw that she was smiling.

'Brilliant' said Hermione. 'This isn't magic – it's logic – a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck in here for ever.'

'But so will we, won't we?'

'Of course not,' said Hermione. 'Everything we need is here on this paper. Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire and one will get is back through the purple.'

'How do we know which one to drink?'

'Give me a minute.'

Hermione read the paper several times. Then she walked up and down the line of bottles, muttering to herself and pointing at them. At last, she clapped her hands.

'Got it,' she said. 'The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire – towards the Stone.'

Harry and Arabella looked at the tiny bottle.

'There's only enough there for two of us,' said Harry. 'Probably two swallows.'

Harry looked at Hermione.

'Which one will get you back through the purple flames?'

Hermione pointed at the right end of the line.

'Hermione, drink that. Get back and get Ron. Grab brooms from the flying-key room, they'll get you out of the trapdoor and past Fluffy – go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, we need him. Me and Arabella might be able to hold Snape off for a while.'

'But what if You-Know-Who's with him?'

'Got lucky once, didn't I? said Harry, pointing at his scar. 'Might get lucky again.'

Hermione's lip trembled and she suddenly dashed at Harry and threw his arms around him.

'_Hermione!'_

She let go of him and grabbed on to Arabella, squeezing her. Arabella winced from Hermione's strength and patted her back awkwardly.

'Harry, Arabella – you both are great wizards, you know.'

'Not as good as you,' said Harry, as Hermione let go of Arabella.

'Me!' said Hermione. 'Books! And Cleverness! There are more important things – friendship and bravery and – oh – be careful!'

She hugged Arabella again. This time Arabella returned it properly.

'You were right you know. First Quidditch lesson you said that there were more important things than rules,' said Hermione as she let go of Arabella, giving her a smile.

'Really?' said Arabella, raising one eyebrow. 'I think we've become a bad influence on you Hermione.'

Hermione gave her a shaky laugh and drank the round bottle.

'It's not poison?' said Harry anxiously.

'No – but it's like ice.'

'Quick, go, before it wears off.'

'Good luck – take care –'

'GO!'

Hermione turned and walked straight through the purple fire.

Harry took a deep breath and picked up the smallest bottle.

'Wait – Harry I need to ask you something,' said Arabella.

'Now?'

'Why did you pick me? Why not Hermione?'

Harry took a long look at her. He could see that through her dark long sleeve shirt that it was soaked, despite not coming into contact with water at all.

'I want you to come with me because you're my friend. And because I know that you're hiding something big. If not you would have told me at Christmas, when I asked you. I know it has something to do with Voldemort.'

'How – '

'I'm not stupid, you know,' he said with a smile before becoming serious again. 'Arabella, I need you with me in this. Are you ready?'

Arabella nodded before she gave Harry a hug.

'Let's do this,' she said as she let go of him.

Harry took the bottle and drank half of it before giving the rest to Arabella. They turned to face the black flames.

They walked forward with Arabella clutching Harry's left arm. Black flames were all around them, but they couldn't feel them. Then they were on the other side, the last chamber.

There was somebody already there – but it wasn't Snape. It wasn't even Voldemort.

**Thank you for reading! Hope you liked it :)**


	14. The Man with Two Faces

**Hello! So this is the last chapter! I'm done! *victory wave***

**Thank you for reading, following, putting it as your favorite and your reviews. I really appreciate it :)**

**Anyway, hope you like this chapter. Enjoy :)**

**disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. If I did I would be telling everyone about that :)**

The Man with Two Faces

It was Quirrell.

'_You!_' gasped Harry and Arabella.

Quirrell smiled. His face wasn't twitching at all.

'Me,' he said calmly, 'I wondered whether I'd be meeting you here, Potter. Though I am surprised you are here Black, you would be a pleasant reward for the others.'

'But Snape –'

'Severus?' Quirrell laughed and it wasn't his usual treble, either, but cold and sharp. 'Yes, Severus does seem the type, doesn't he? So useful to have him swooping around like an overgrown bat. Next to him, who would suspect p-p-poor st-stuttering P-Professor Quirrell?'

'But Snape tried to kill Harry!'

'No, no, no. I tried to kill Potter. Miss Granger knocked me over as she rushed to set fire to Snape at that Quidditch match. She broke my eye contact with him. Another few seconds I could have gotten him off that broom. Snape was muttering the counter-curse, trying to save him.'

'Snape was trying to save me?' said Harry in disbelief.

'Of course,' said Quirrell coolly. 'Why do you think he wanted to referee your next match? He was trying to make sure I didn't do it again. Funny, really… he needn't have bothered. I couldn't do anything with Dumbledore watching. All the other teachers thought Snape was trying to stop Gryffindor winning, he did make himself unpopular… and what a waste of time, when after all that, I'm going to kill you tonight.'

Arabella stepped in front of Harry.

'Over my dead body,' she said through her teeth. If looks could kill, Quirrell would be six-feet under.

Quirrell gave a small laugh. He snapped his fingers. Ropes sprang out of thin air and wrapped themselves around Arabella, moving her to the left of the chamber, but still close to Harry. She was trying to get free of them, but it was no use. It kept getting tighter.

'Let go of her!' said Harry, who was also finding it difficult to move as some of the ropes tied his arms and legs together.

'No,' said Quirrell, still smiling. 'You're too nosy to live, Potter. Same goes for you Black, but your time will come later. Both of you, scurrying around the school at Halloween like that, for all I knew the two of you seen me coming to look at what was guarding the Stone.'

'You let the troll in?'

'Certainly. I have a special gift with trolls – you must have seen what I did to the one in the chamber back there? Unfortunately, while everyone else was running around looking for it, Snape, who already suspected me, went straight to the third floor to head me off – and not only did my troll fail to bet you to death, that three-headed dog didn't even manage to bite Snape's leg off properly. Now, wait quietly, Potter. Stop struggling Black. There's no point. I need to examine this interesting mirror.'

It was only then that Harry realised what was standing behind Quirrell. It was the Mirror of Erised.

'This mirror is the key to finding the Stone,' Quirrell murmured. 'Trust Dumbledore to come up with something like this… but he's in London… I'll be far away by the time he gets back…'

'Harry…' said Arabella, trying to get some words out. 'Harry… saw you and Snape in the Forest –'

'Yes,' said Quirrell, walking around the Mirror. 'He was on to me by that time, trying to find out how far I'd got. He suspected me all along. Tried to frighten me – as through he could, when I had Lord Voldemort on my side…'

Quirrell stood in front of the Mirror again and stared into it.

'I see the Stone… I'm presenting it to my master… but where is it?'

'But Snape always seemed to hate me so much,' said Harry, trying to keep Quirrell's attention from the Mirror.

'Oh, he does,' said Quirrell, casually, 'heavens, yes. He was at Hogwarts with your father, yours too Black. They loathed each other. But he never wanted you dead Potter.

'But we heard you a few days ago, sobbing – we thought Snape was threatening you…'

'Sometimes,' said Quirrell, with fear in his face, 'I find it hard to follow my master's instructions – he is a great wizard and I am weak – '

'He was in the some classroom as you?' gasped Arabella.

'He is with me wherever I go,' said Quirrell. 'I met him when I was travelling the world. I was a foolish young man, full of ridiculous ideas about good and evil. Lord Voldemort showed me how wrong I was. There is no good and evil, there is only power. Since then, I have served him faithfully, although I have let him down many times. He does not forgive mistakes easily. When I failed to steal the Stone from Gringotts he decided to keep a closer watch on me…'

Quirrell regained his composure and cursed under his breath.

'I don't understand… is the Stone inside the Mirror? Should I break it? What does this Mirror do? How does it work? Help me, Master!'

A voice answered, it seemed to come from Quirrell himself, but he wasn't moving his lips.

'Use the boy… Use the boy…'

Quirrell rounded on Harry.

'Yes – Potter – come here.'

He clapped his hands once and the ropes that were on Harry fell off. Slowly Harry got to his feet.

'Harry! Don't you dare hurt him!' screamed Arabella, who was still tied to the ropes. She struggled more when Harry was free.

'Shut up Black! Potter! Come here,' Quirrell repeated. 'Look in the Mirror and tell me what you see.'

Harry walked in front of the Mirror, while Quirrell moved behind. He looked into the Mirror.

He saw his reflection smiling at him. It out his hand into the pocket and pulled out a blood-red stone. It winked and put the Stone back in its pocket – and as it did so, Harry felt something heavy drop into his real pocket. Somehow – incredibly – _he'd got the Stone._

'Well? What do you see?' said Quirrell.

'I see myself shaking hands with Dumbledore,' he lied. 'I – I've won the House Cup for Gryffindor.'

'He lies… He lies…' said that mysterious voice

'Potter! Tell me the truth! What do you see?'

'Use the girl… the girl…'

'Fine, Potter, you leave me no choice,' said Quirrell. He turned to Arabella and waved his wand. The ropes released her and she fell to the ground. Quirrell pointed his wand at her.

'_Crucio!_,' said Quirrell. 

Arabella let out a small scream and started to twitch on the ground. She looked like she was in pain.

'Stop it!' said Harry, who seemed to have been rooted to the ground.

Quirrell waved his wand again and the curse was lift off.

'That was just a taste of some pain Potter that Black might face again. Now, tell me what you see in the Mirror?' said Quirrell.

'Don't you dare say anything Harry!' exclaimed Arabella, who was panting on the floor.

Quirrell pointed his wand again at Arabella, but the voice spoke again.

'Let me face him… face to face…'

'Master, you are not strong enough!'

'I have strength enough… for this…'

Harry watched Quirrell reach up and began to unwrap his turban. The turban fell away. Quirrell's head looked strangely small without it. He turned slowly on the spot. There was a face, at the back of his head. It was the most terrible face harry had ever seen. It was chalk white with glaring red eyes and slits for nostrils, like a snake.

'Harry Potter…' it whispered.

Arabella managed to get to her feet, while limping, and pull Harry away from the face. Harry could feel her hand trembling. Harry and Arabella couldn't move their eyes from the face.

'See what I have become?' the face said. 'Mere shadow and vapour of what I once was… sharing the bodies of another… once I have the Elixir of Life, I will be able to create a body of my own… Now… why don't you give me that Stone in your pocket?'

Arabella pulled Harry behind her.

'You won't touch him,' said Arabella bravely, but there was a certain fear in her voice.

'Don't be foolish,' snarled the face. 'You're Arabella Black right? Related to Bellatrix Lestrange? Join me… Have a better life… you'll do your family proud… or die just like Harry Potter's parents… They died begging for mercy…'

'LIAR!' Harry shouted.

'How touching…' it hissed. 'I always value bravery… Yes, boy, your parents were brave… I killed your father first and he put up a courageous fight… but your mother needn't have died… she was trying to protect you… Just like Black over her… it's ironic really… Now give me the Stone, unless you want to see your friend died like them.'

Quirrell snapped his fingers and again ropes wrapped themselves around Arabella, this time one of it was wrapped tightly around her throat. She was at the top of the chamber, struggling to get free.

'LET GO OF HER!'

Harry did something that would be considered very brave and very stupid. He charged towards Quirrell. Quirrell was caught off guard and the rope that was surrounding Arabella came off her. She dropped to the ground unconscious.

'SEIZE HIM!' screamed Voldemort. Harry felt Quirrell's hands on his waist. At once, a sharp pain seared across Harry's scar; his head felt as though it was about to split in two. He yelled and he struggled with all his might. Quirrell let go of him and hunched in pain, looking at his fingers that were blistering before his eyes.

'Master, I cannot hold him – my hands – my hands!'

'Then kill him, fool, and be done!' screeched Voldemort.

Quirrell raised his wand pointing at Harry, but, by instinct, Harry reached up and grabbed Quirrell's face –

'AAAARGH!'

Quirrell rolled off him, his face blistering. Quirrell couldn't touch his face, not without suffering terrible pain. Harry jumped to his feet, caught Quirrell by the arm and hung on as tight as he could. Quirrell screamed and tried to throw Harry off – the pain in Harry's head was building – he couldn't see anything – he could only hear the screaming around him.

He felt Quirrell's arm wrenched from his grasp, knew all was lost, and fell into blackness, down… down… down…

* * *

_'CRUCIO!'_

_There was a red light coming towards the figure on the floor. A merciless laughter was heard with screams of pain._

_'You don't have to fight it,' said the figure standing over the victim. 'You're just making it worse. You were made for this. Embrace it. Embrace us. You're new family.'_

_'Never,' spat the figure on the ground._

_'So be it.'_

_There was more laughter and a flash of green light was hurling its way towards the victim. _

_Miss Black… No…Miss Black… No… Arabella…NOOO…_

'Miss Black. Arabella Black,' spoke a voice beside her.

Arabella woke up with a gasp. Beside her was the smiling face of Albus Dumbledore.

'Professor! Why are you here?! Harry needs you!'

Dumbledore continued to smile. 'Don't worry Arabella. Harry is fine. His bed is right beside yours.'

He pointed towards Arabella's right. There laid Harry, fast asleep with a peaceful look on his face.

'What happened to Quirrell and the Stone?' asked Arabella, looking back at Dumbledore.

'Quirrell is long gone, as is the Stone.'

'So Nicolas Flamel and his wife are dead.'

'Not yet. Soon. They are arranging everything before it happens. I believe that they are ok with this.'

'But they're going to die. Shouldn't they be sad about that or something?'

'Yes, but after all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure. They have lived for many, many years. They fell it's as though they're going to sleep after a very long day.'

Arabella nodded.

'Sir, do you know what happened in the Chamber?'

'Yes I do and I must say, you are very brave for what you did. Not many people would sacrifice themselves for a friend. Especially when that person is Voldemort.'

Arabella nodded.

'Does anybody else know?'

'The whole school, yes. I wrote to Mr Lupin three days ago. He was shocked, to say the least, but he is pleased to hear that you are alive and ok. Though you might be getting a lecture when you go home.'

'Three days? Was I really out for three day?' gapped Arabella.

'Yes, the Cruciatus Curse didn't really do any damage. It was mostly the fall that knocked you out. But I sense there is something else you really want to talk about.'

Arabella stared at Dumbledore, thinking about how she was going to ask him.

'In the chamber, Quirrell said that I would have been a reward for the others. What did he mean?'

Dumbledore sighed and the usual twinkle in his eyes were gone.

'Voldemort would have rebuilt his arm if he had gotten the Stone. During the First War, one of his most devoted followers was Bellatrix Lestrange.'

Arabella gasped.

'Bellatrix Lestrange? As in my cousin, Bellatrix? The person who murdered my mom?'

'Unfortunately yes. She believed herself to be his most loyal servant. Instead of saying that she and her husband under the Imperious Curse, they ran away, plotting for their revenge. And they got that, but they didn't finish the job. You would have been her reward for the loyalty she showed towards Voldemort after his downfall.'

'But… why?' asked Arabella, who suddenly paled.

'That I feel you should find out about this later. You are too young to fell burdened with this knowledge.'

Arabella nodded. 'But you will tell me one day?'

'Maybe. Unless you find out yourself.' said Dumbledore.

'Why does Snape hate me and Harry so much?'

'_Professor _Snape and your father were in the same year together. When they were in school together, they hated each other. Naturally, his hatred for your father is still there,' said Dumbledore. 'Is there anything else that's disturbing you?'

'Yes, but I'll deal with it later,' said Arabella sleepily.

Dumbledore nodded.

'You have some tokens from your friends and family,' said Dumbledore , pointing at the number of treats at the foot of her bed.

'Andromeda wrote me a very long and strongly worded letter about your safety and how she was going to come down and personally hex me if anything like this happens again,' said Dumbledore with a smile and the twinkle returning in his eyes.

'She would do that you know,' said Arabella with a laugh.

'I remember her from her time at Hogwarts. Smart and quick with a wand. Wouldn't put it past her,' said Dumbledore, with a laugh.

Dumbledore was looking at the sweets that were at the end of her bed.

'Ah, Chocolate Frog! May I have one? I do like to collect the cards,' asked Dumbledore.

Arabella nodded with a laugh. After Dumbledore left she went into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

'Just five minutes,' Harry pleaded.

'Absolutely not,' said Madam Pomfrey.

'You let Professor Dumbledore in,' pointed out Arabella.

'Well, of course, that was the Headmaster, quit different. The both of you need rest.'

'We're resting, look, lying down and everything,' said Harry.

'Come on Madam Pomfrey… pleaseeeee…' said Arabella with a smile.

'Oh, very well,' she said. 'But five minutes only.'

She let Ron and Hermione in.

'_Harry! Arabella!'_

Hermione looked as though she was ready to pull them into hugs again, but she held herself back.

'Oh, Harry, Arabella, we were so worried!'

'The whole school's talking about it,' said Ron. 'What really happened?'

Harry and Arabella told them everything: Quirrell, the Mirror, the Stone, the torture and Voldemort. Harry and Arabella left out some of the conversations that happened between them, mostly the ones that had to do with Arabella.

Ron and Hermione were a very good audience; they gasped in all the right place, and, when Harry told them about Quirrell torturing Arabella, Hermione flung her arms around Arabella and not letting go until the story was over.

'So the Stone's gone?' said Ron finally. 'Flamel's just going to die?'

'Yeah, Dumbledore said something about death being the next great adventure or something,' said Arabella.

'I always thought he was off his rocker,' said Ron, looking quite impressed at how mad his hero was.

* * *

'We want to go to the feast,' Harry told Madam Pomfrey. 'Can we?'

'Professor Dumbledore says that you are allowed to go,' she said. 'And you both have another visit.'

'Who is it?' asked Arabella with some chocolate in her mouth.

Hagrid sidled through the door as he spoke. As usual when he was indoors, Hagrid looked too big to be allowed. He sat in front of Harry and Arabella, took one look at them and burst into tears.

'It's all my fault!' he sobbed, his face in his hands. 'I told the evil git how ter get past Fluffy! I told him! It was the only think he didn't know an' I told him! The two of yeh could've died! All fer a dragon egg! I'll never drink again! I should be chucked out an' made ter live as a Muggle!'

'Hagrid!' said Harry and Arabella.

'Hagrid, he'd have found out somehow, this is Voldemort we're talking about, he'd have found out even if you hadn't told him.'

'Both of yeh could have died!' sobbed Hagrid. 'An' don' say the name!'

'VOLDEMORT!' screamed Arabella, and Hagrid was so shocked, he stopped crying. 'We've met him and we're calling him by his name. It's just a name Hagrid. Nothing to be afraid of. Cheer up.'

Hagrid wiped his nose on the back of his hand and said, 'I've got yer presents.'

Hagrid handed Harry a leather-covered book and gave Arabella a leather jacket.

Harry opened the book. It was full of wizard photographs. Smiling and waving at him from every page were his mother and father.

'Sent owls off ter all yer parents' old school friends, askin' fer photos… Knew yeh didn' have any… Arabella that was yeh dad's jacket. Found it in Filch's office. Crazy old git confiscated fer no reason… it belongs to yeh… D'yeh both like it?'

They couldn't speak, but Hagrid understood.

* * *

When Harry and Arabella walked into the Great Hall, there was a sudden hush and then everybody started talking again at once. Harry and Arabella took their seats across from Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table.

Dumbledore arrived moments later.

'Another year gone!' said Dumbledore cheerfully. 'And I must trouble you with an old man's wheezing waffle before we sink our teeth into our delicious feast. What a year it has been! Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were… you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts…

'Now, as I understand it, the House Cup needs awarding and the points stand thus: in fourth place, Gryffindor, with two hundred and sixty two points; in third place Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two points; Ravenclaw have four hundred and twenty-six points and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy-two.'

A storm of cheering and stamping broke out from the Slytherin table. It was a sickening sight.

'Yes, yes, well done, Slytherin,' said Dumbledore. 'However, recent events must be taken into consideration.

'I have a few last minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes…

'First – to Mr Ronald Weasley for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor house fifty points.'

Gryffindor cheers nearly raised the bewitched ceiling; the stars overhead seemed to quiver. Percy could be heard telling the other Prefects, 'My brother, you know! My youngest brother! Got past McGonagall's giant chess set!'

At last there was silence again.

'Second – to Miss Hermione Granger for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor house fifty points.'

Hermione buried her face in her arms; Harry strongly suspected she had burst into tears. Gryffindors up and down the table were beside themselves – they were a hundred points up.

'Third – to Miss Arabella Black for standing between the face of death and a friend, I award Gryffindor house fifty points.'

Arabella was staring at Dumbledore with wide eyes. The Gryffindor table was cheering more loudly as were some of the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were starting to join in too.

'Forth – to Mr Harry Potter ...' said Dumbledore. The room went deadly quiet. '... for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor house sixty points.'

The din was deafening. Those who could add up while yelling themselves hoarse knew that Gryffindor now had four hundred and seventy-two points – exactly the same as Slytherin. They had drawn for the House Cup – if only Dumbledore had given Harry just one more point.

Dumbledore raised his hand. The room gradually fell silent.

'There are all kinds of courage,' said Dumbledore, smiling. 'It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr Neville Longbottom.'

Someone standing outside the Great Hall might well have thought some sort of explosion had taken place, so loud was the noise that erupted from the Gryffindor table. Harry, Ron, Arabella and Hermione stood up to yell and cheer as Neville, white with shock, disappeared under a pile of people hugging him. He had never won so much as a point for Gryffindor before. Harry, still cheering, nudged Arabella in the ribs and pointed at Malfoy, who couldn't have looked more stunned and horrified if he'd just had the Body-Bind curse put on him.

'Which means, we need a little change of decorations,' called Dumbledore over the storm of applause.

He clapped his hands and in an instant the green and silver hanging became scarlet and gold.

It was the best evening of Harry's life, better than winning at Quidditch or Christmas or knocking out mountain trolls…

* * *

Harry had almost forgotten that the exam results were still to come, but come they did. To their great surprise, both he and Ron passed with good marks. Arabella got better marks than them but was below Hermione. Hermione, of course, came top of the year. Even Neville scraped through, his good Herbology mark making up for his abysmal Potions one. They had hoped that Goyle, who was almost as stupid as he was mean, might be thrown out, but he had passed, too. It was a shame, but as Ron said, you couldn't have everything in life.

* * *

'You must come and stay this summer,' said Ron, 'I'll send the three of you owls.'

'Thanks,' said Harry. 'I'll need something to look forward to.'

As they moved forward to the way back to the Muggle world, some people call them:

'Bye, Harry!'

'See you, Potter!'

'Still famous,' said Ron, grinning at him.

'Not where I'm going, I promise you,' said Harry.

The four of them passed through the gateway together.

'There he is, Mum, there he is, look!'

It was Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister, but she wasn't pointing at Ron.

'Harry Potter!' she squealed. 'Look, Mum! I can see –'

'Be quiet, Ginny, and it's rude to point.'

Mrs Weasley smiled down at them.

'Busy year?' she said.

'Very,' said Harry.

'Thank you for the fudge and jumper, Mrs Weasley,' said Arabella.

'Oh, it was nothing dears.'

'Arabella,' came a voice behind Mrs Weasley. It was a shaggy looking man with light brown hair that seemed to be greying a bit. He was smiling at Arabella.

'Uncle Remus!' Arabella ran towards him and hugged the man.

'Hello, I'm Molly Weasley, Ron's mother,' said Mrs Weasley after Arabella let go of Remus.

'Remus Lupin, Arabella's godfather. Nice to meet you,' said Remus as he shook Mrs Weasley's hand.

'Well, we must get going, Andy's home and she would like to see you,' said Remus, giving Arabella a 'you're in trouble' look.

'OK, one moment,' said Arabella. She went back to Harry, Ron and Hermione.

'Stay in touch,' she said while hugging Hermione.

'Will do.'

'Owl me about staying over,' hugging Ron.

'No problem.'

'Try not to hurt yourself,' hugging Harry and messing up his hair.

'I'll do my best,' said Harry with a smirk.

Arabella turned to Mrs Weasley and gave her a final farewell and went off with her godfather Remus.

'Ready, are you?'

It was Uncle Vernon, still purple-faced, still moustached, still looking furious at the nerve of Harry, carrying an owl in a cage in a station full of ordinary people. Behind him stood Aunt Petunia and Dudley, looking terrified at the very sight of Harry.

'You must be Harry's family!' said Mrs Weasley.

'In a manner of speaking,' said Uncle Vernon. 'Hurry up, boy, we haven't got all day.' He walked away.

Harry hung back for a last word with Ron and Hermione.

'See you over the summer, then.'

'Hope you have – er – a good holiday,' said Hermione, looking uncertainly after Uncle Vernon, shocked that anyone could be so unpleasant.

'Oh, I will,' said Harry, and they were surprised at the grin that was spreading over his face. 'They don't know we're not allowed to use magic at home. I'm going to have a lot of fun with Dudley this summer ...'

**Thank you for reading! I tried to make Dumbledore sound intelligent and wise when I wrote him, but I don't know of that really turned out good...**

**So, from now on the books will be alternative between Harry's POV and Arabella's POV, just to make things interesting :)**


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